Cyclonic storm 'Maha' spares Lakshadweep, Kerala; alerts withdrawn

Lakshadweep islanders heaved a sigh of relief on Friday as the cyclonic storm 'Maha' spared the archipelago and moved across without touching land.

Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal said the islands witnessed rough seas and heavy rains due to Cyclone Maha but no major damage was reported.

Some coconut trees were uprooted and a few houses and boats were damaged, but no major destruction had been reported, Faizal told PTI over phone.

The Met department had earllier forecast that Maha will cross the Lakshadweep and gale wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph was likely over northern parts of the islands area and adjoining southeast Arabian sea.

After moving across Lakshadweep, the cyclone lay centered on Friday morning about 450 km northnorthwest of Aminidivi (Lakshadweep), it said.

The Kerala Disaster Management Authority said cyclone Maha was not a threat to Kerala anymore.

According to its weather update, the cyclonic system is currently moving in North West direction at a speed of 24 km per hour.

However, the warning given to fishermen against venturing into the sea still stood, the authority said adding all other rain related alerts have been withdrawn.

There was respite from rains in Kerala on Friday a day after several parts were battered by torrential showers with over 1,000 people being shifted to relief camps across the state.

A Defence spokesman here said the Navy had taken all precautionary measures to deal with any eventuality due to the cyclone.

The Navy on Thursday had directed the Naval officer-in-charge (NOIC) Lakshadweep & Minicoy (L&M) and INS Dweeprakshak at Kavaratti to take all precautions in co-ordination with the Union Territory of Lakshadweep (UTL) administration to ensure safety of men and material.

Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba had reviewed the preparedness of the island administration through video conference on Wednesday.