Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reached Bhavnagar in Gujarat to review the situation in the state and announced financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief measures in the areas hit by cyclone Tauktae in Gujarat, an official release said.
He also announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia compensation for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured in cyclone-related incidents in all states affected by Tauktae.
The prime minister approved the help package after holding a review meeting in Ahmedabad with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and top officials to assess the damage caused by the cyclone.
In the morning, Modi landed at Bhavnagar from Delhi and proceeded for an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad and Mahuva, an official said.
Thirteen people were killed in Gujarat as cyclone Tauktae pummelled parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles, trees and damaging thousands of houses and roads.
In what was one of the worst cyclones faced by thestate, Tauktae triggered heavy rains in many parts along itsway from the Saurashtra coast to North Gujarat with 46 talukas receiving over 100 mm of downpour, while 12 of them recorded 150 mm to 175 mm of rains.
Tauktae, characterised as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday, has now weakened into a depression and lay centred over south Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat region on Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department said.
Over 16,000 houses were damaged, more than 40,000trees and over 70,000 electric poles uprooted, while 5,951villages faced total power blackout due to the cyclonic stormin Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said.
