Cyclone Tauktae: Karnataka CM Yediyurappa takes stock of situation
Bengaluru, May 16: With Cyclone Tauktae wreaking havoc in the coastal districts of the state, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday asked district in-charge Ministers and Deputy Commissioners to visit affected areas and carry out rescue and relief works.
Yediyurappa on Sunday called Ministers incharge of coastal districts and Deputy Commissioners there and took stock of the situation there, his office said in a statement.
It said, the chief minister asked them to visit and carry out relief and rescue works in the areas affected by the cyclone which has come amidst the COVID pandemic.
The Chief Minister has directed the officials to call the Ministers concerned or him directly if in need of any emergency assistance from the state government, it added.
According to the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was observed over the state mainly, in coastal and Malnad districts during last night.
More than 64.5 mm (heavy) rainfall was observed in 286 locations from 08:30 AM on May 15 to 6:45 AM on May 16 in the state, it said.
Widespread heavy to extremely heavy rains were observed in 8 districts including Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, it added.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places in the coastal and adjoining ghat districts of the state on Sunday.
State's Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Saturday had said the effect of the cyclone is likely to be there till May 18 and had warned fishermen not to venture into the sea till then.
District administrations have been ordered to shift people from low lying areas, he had said, eight relief camps have been set up in three districts that can accommodate about 10,000 people where food and other basic amenities will be made available.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said, around 1,000 trained personnel from fire force, police, coastal police, home guards, SDRF have been deployed in the three coastal districts and they will work with coordination in rescue and relief operations, also NDRF teams have also been roped in.
We are closely monitoring the cyclone situation in coastal areas. I am in contact with District in-charge ministers and DCs of the affected districts to ensure rescue and relief operations. Officials have been instructed to take all possible precautions & safety measures.
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 16, 2021
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Russian First Deputy PM Manturov meets PM Modi; discusses trade, energy ties
New Delhi (PTI): Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Thursday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties in areas of investment, energy and industrial cooperation.
Manturov, on a two-day visit to India, also held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The Russian embassy said Modi and Manturov discussed "specific steps to implement agreements reached" during the India-Russia summit held in December last.
"Particular attention was paid to further strengthening Russia-India trade, economic, investment, energy and industrial cooperation," it said on social media.
In their meeting, Doval and Manturov were learnt to have discussed bilateral defence cooperation besides the evolving regional security situation.
The Russian first deputy PM's visit to New Delhi comes days after India cleared procurement of a fresh batch of five S-400 missile systems from Russia.
The decision to procure the additional batch of five S-400 air defence missile systems was taken against the backdrop of the missile system proving its capability during Operation Sindoor.
The missile system played a crucial role in India's dominance over Pakistan during the May 7-10 hostilities last year.
In October 2018, India had signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Three squadrons have already been delivered.
In the talks, the two sides are also expected to exchange views on the West Asia conflict and its impact on global economy, especially on the energy sector.
It is learnt that both sides also reviewed the implementation of decisions taken at the summit talks between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in last December.
Following talks between the two leaders, India and Russia unveiled a raft of measures including a five-year roadmap to build a robust economic partnership and to increase the annual trade to USD 100 billion by 2030.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week lauded India's "independent foreign policy" and said that Russia looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Modi for a visit this year.
In an address at a conference titled 'India and Russia: Towards a new bilateral agenda', he said the "time-tested" friendship between the two countries is a model on interstate relations based on mutual trust and respect.
