Parts of Andamans experience rain, strong winds due to Cyclone Asani
Port Blair(PTI): Normal life in parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was affected on Sunday due to rain and strong winds because of Cyclone Asani, officials said.
Inter-island shipping services have been stopped and fishermen warned not to venture into the sea as the year's first cyclonic storm nears the archipelago, they said.
Around 100 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed and six relief camps opened in various parts of the islands as a precautionary measure, the officials said.
North and Middle Andamans experienced rain and strong winds but life in Port Blair remained normal, they said.
"Yesterday's Well marked Low pressure area intensified into a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea at 0530 IST of today the 20th March 2022. To intensify further into a Deep Depression during next 24 hours," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a Twitter post on Sunday.
The system is expected to move towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts.
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Karnataka Guv to halve convoy size following PM Modi's austerity call
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday reduced the size of his official convoy to the minimum required strength following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's austerity call.
In a post on 'X', the Lok Bhavan said Gehlot had taken the step in response to the Prime Minister's appeal for fuel conservation and reduction in foreign exchange expenditure amid the West Asia crisis.
"Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot has reduced his convoy to the minimum required strength, following Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's appeal," the post said.
The move comes days after Modi, while addressing a rally organised by the BJP in Hyderabad, called for several measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange and reducing dependence on imports amid tensions in West Asia.
The Prime Minister had urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use metro rail services in cities, adopt carpooling, increase the use of electric vehicles and utilise railway services for parcel transportation. He had also suggested working from home wherever possible to conserve fuel and foreign exchange.
Modi further appealed to people to postpone the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year, reduce edible oil consumption, lower dependence on chemical fertilisers and promote natural farming and swadeshi products to strengthen self-reliance and conserve foreign exchange.
