Puducherry shuts schools, colleges as Cyclone Ditwah approaches; Lt Guv holds emergency meet

PUDUCHERRY: Home and Education Minister A Namassivayam announced a holiday for all schools and colleges, including private institutions, in the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam on Saturday.

The decision was taken in view of the heavy rainfall expected under cyclone Ditwah’s influence. The name ‘Ditwah’, meaning a lagoon, was suggested by Yemen and is likely derived from Detwah Lagoon on the northwest coast of Socotra.

Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan on Friday held an emergency meeting with officials, directing them to take all precautionary measures ahead of heavy rains in the union territory under the influence of cyclone Ditwah.

A release from Raj Nivas said the IMD has issued a 'red alert' for Puducherry, forecasting intense rainfall on November 29 and 30 due to the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. A 'red alert' indicates heavy-to-extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours.

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NDRF personnel deployed in Puducherry regions

The cyclone is located about 300 km south-southeast of Karaikal, 410 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 510 km south-southeast of Chennai, the bulletin from the India Meteorological Department said. Kailashnathan reviewed the measures already taken by departments, including Revenue and Disaster Management, to tackle the expected impact. He instructed officials from disaster management-related departments to implement preventive measures.

Officials informed him that personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, had arrived here and were being deployed for relief and rescue operations in Puducherry and Karaikal regions.

The release said the Lt Governor directed that control rooms be operational around the clock to respond to calls for assistance promptly. He also asked that fishermen be warned against venturing into the sea and that all fishing vessels be secured in safe locations.

Hospitals should be equipped with sufficient medicines and supplies to handle any emergency, he added. Relief centres are to be set up at multiple locations, with food packets provided to those sheltered in the camps.

Officials were also asked to take necessary steps to drain water from areas likely to be inundated by rainfall. Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan, Development Commissioner and Head of the Department of Disaster Management Krishna Mohan Uppu, and District Collector A Kulothungan were among those present at the meeting.