NEW DELHI: The southern part of India is on high alert after Cyclone Ditwah killed at least 159 in Sri Lanka. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a yellow alert for multiple districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, including Chennai, cautioning that light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning may occur.The IMD informed that the cyclone is expected to move almost directly north, running parallel to the North Tamil Nadu–Puducherry coastline over the next 24 hours.”It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts during next 24 hours. While moving northwards the cyclonic storm will be centered over southwest Bay of Bengal within a minimum distance of 70 km and 30 km from the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coastline by noon and evening of today, the 30th November respectively,” it said in a post on X.
Emergency services on alert
Five teams from the National Disaster Response Force’s (NDRF) 6th Battalion were airlifted from Vadodara to Chennai on Sunday to boost emergency readiness as Cyclone Ditwah intensifies over the Bay of Bengal, affecting the eastern coastal areas, especially Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.The NDRF stated that these teams are equipped with Flood Water Rescue (FWR) and Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) gear to enhance preparedness in Tamil Nadu, where heavy rain and strong winds caused by the cyclone continue to create critical conditions.
Cyclone wrecks havoc in Sri Lanka
The death toll in Sri Lanka due to the cyclone rose to 159, AFP reported citing Disaster Management Centre (DMC). President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency in response to the cyclone’s aftermath and called for international assistance.According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), northern Colombo was experiencing severe flooding as water levels in the Kelani River continued to surge.”Although the cyclone has left us, heavy rains upstream are now flooding low-lying areas along the banks of the Kelani River,” AFP quoted a DMC official saying.The severe weather has damaged over 20,000 homes and forced 1,22,000 people into government-run temporary shelters. An additional 8,33,000 people have been displaced by flooding and are in need of support. Authorities say roughly one-third of the country is still without electricity or running water because of downed power lines and flooded water treatment plants, while internet services have also been affected.
Op Sagar Bandhu: India becomes first responder
India initiated Operation Sagar Bandhu, deploying relief and support to the island nation with the help of the Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy, and 80 NDRF personnel working continuously to protect lives and provide timely assistance. So far, India has transported 27 tonnes of relief supplies to Colombo. According to details shared by the Indian Air Force and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Mi-17 V5 helicopters have been stationed in Colombo for rapid humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.Additionally, a C-130 transport aircraft and an Ilyushin IL-76 from Hindan Air Base flew in on Friday night, carrying 21 tonnes of relief material, more than 80 NDRF personnel, and 8 tonnes of equipment to Colombo.Chetak helicopters from INS Vikrant carried out search and rescue sorties in the island nation. Go to Source
