Bad weather may spoil 'Howdy Modi'

Houston : The stage is all set for the mega "Howdy Modi" event in which President Donald Trump will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi where they will address over 50,000 Indian-Americans on Sunday, but the torrential rains triggered by a tropical storm have wreaked havoc in Houston, killing 2 persons.

Tropical Depression Imelda slammed Texas on Thursday, causing devastating flooding, power outages and prompting urgent rescues and warnings across southeastern Texas for people to stay indoors.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of emergency for 13 counties in southeastern Texas. Two persons were killed on Thursday.

One was electrocuted and drowned while trying to move his horse and another man drowned after driving his van into floodwaters and submerged, according to sheriff's office.

However, the volunteers of the "Howdy Modi" event are upbeat and confident that all the attendees at the sprawling NRG stadium in Houston will have an experience they will cherish all their lives. Leading volunteer Achalesh Amar told PTI that over 1,500 volunteers have been working round the clock to make the event a grand success.

"We are going to have a fantastic programme on Sunday", he said. The mammoth event reflects the growing size, power and complexity of the Indian-American community, both in the Houston area and the US, he said.

President Trump, along with a number of high-ranking US government officials - including governors, members of Congress and mayors - will join Prime Minister Modi to attend the "Howdy Modi!" event on Sunday. "This is going to be a kind of family celebration.

We want to say, ''Look at our community here! We are successful. We are strong. We have done good things for Houston!'' We would like Modi to know all of this," organisers said.

Swapan Dhairyawan, president of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH), said he has witnessed how Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner''s visit to India in November 2018 enhanced the bilateral trade.

Dhairyawan said he was confident that Modi''s visit to Houston and his meeting with President Trump and top CEOs will "make new inroads in furthering business opportunities in oil and gas, healthcare and Innovation – Houston''s three core sectors". "We need a non-stop flight from Houston to New Delhi.