Cong Rajya Sabha MP seeks compensation for cyclone victims of Gujarat

By Siddharth Sharma

Bhavnagar (Gujarat) [India], May 19 (ANI): Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shakti Sinh Gohil on Tuesday demanded that the Central Government should provide compensation to farmers, fishermen and small-scale businessmen in the coastal area of Gujarat affected by cyclone Tauktae.

Gohil told ANI, "Cyclone has hit Una of Gujarat and Amreli and has caused damage in Saurashtra region and South Gujarat. People living in the coastal area are badly affected as electricity and mobile connectivity are disrupted and the real picture will be known once things settle down."

"Farmers did not get a chance to sell their winter crops due to the COVID-19 crisis and now the cyclone has destroyed the summer harvest. It is the season of mango harvest in the Saurashtra region which is wiped out now," he further said.

"Gujarat has the largest coastal area in the country at about 1660 kilometers which houses a large number of fishermen. They lost their livelihood, their homes. So I request Prime Minister Modi, who himself hails from Gujarat, to give compensation to farmers, fishermen and small-scale businessmen in this hour of crisis," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Gujarat today to assess the situation in the state and hold meetings to review the relief work done in the state.

Tauktae stands to be the strongest storm to impact Gujarat since 1998 as it battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening, officials said on Tuesday. The cyclone, whose intensity had weakened by today but heavy rains are likely to continue, with wind speeds reaching 125 kilometres per hour, the weather department has said.

Cyclone Tauktae has impacted the weather conditions in several parts of Northern India. Many areas like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi are likely to witness rainfall in the coming few hours. (ANI)