Gaja likely to cross TN coast early hours Friday: IMD
63,000 People Evacuated
Chennai, Nov 15: Cyclone 'Gaja' is very likely to cross the Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore, South of Nagapattinam by early hours of Friday as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph, a weather bulletin said Thursday night.
The state government, which has put its machinery in full alert in vulnerable districts, said a total of 63,203 people have been evacuated and housed in 331 relief centres in six districts including Cuddalore and Nagapattinam.
Earlier, an India Meteorological Department bulletin at 7.50 pm said the outer band of the system has already entered the coast and rainfall has commenced over coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.
A holiday has been declared for educational institutions in seven districts, including Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Cuddalore and Ramanathapuram, and the government has advised private firms, and establishments to send back their employees early so that they could reach their homes before 4 pm.
As the sea was rough, police have been advised to intensify efforts to bar people from going near beaches to witness the cyclone or click selfies.
Four teams each of National Disaster Response Force personnel have been deployed in Nagapattinam district while two teams of the state disaster response force in Cuddalore district, officials said.
The state disaster management authority has released an animated video aimed at creating awareness on the do's and don'ts during cyclone.
The government has announced helpline numbers 1070 (state-level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need assistance.
In view of the cyclone, the Southern Railway announced cancellation of four trains, including three from here to destinations in Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur and Thanjavur districts, scheduled for departure Thursday.
It also diverted four express trains bound for southern districts, a release said.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
