2 NDRF teams on standby in Puducherry; CM chairs review meet

Puducherry government Tuesday put its machinery on full alert to meet the impact of cyclone 'Gaja' which is expected to cross the neighbouring Tamil Nadu coast between Cuddalore and Pamban.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy chaired a review meeting with officials of various departments to ascertain the preparedness.

He said two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have arrived here and they would be positioned here and Karaikal near Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu.

Narayanasamy said he had directed all the departments to deploy man power adequately and also keep ready equipment needed to pump out water from low lying areas as rainfall was expected to be intense in Puducherry and Karaikal under the impact of the cyclone.

Relief centres would also be operating, he said adding the weather report made available to the government showed the cyclone would bring in its wake heavy rains in Puducherry and Karaikal regions.

He said fishermen were asked not to venture into the sea.

Revenue Minister M O H F Shah Jahan, Education Minister R Kamalakannan and District Collector Vijay Abhijit Choudhury were among those who attended the review meeting.