WEB DESK
After the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday predicted the formation of a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, saying it is likely to make landfall between south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts on Sunday evening, the BJD government put seven districts on high alert.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has announced that 13 teams and 5 teams will be deployed in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh respectively.
Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena stated that the government has rushed rescue teams to the vulnerable areas and asked officials to evacuate people from low-lying areas.
As many as 42 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 24 squads of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with fire brigade personnel, have been dispatched to the seven districts — Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal.
Odisha’s Ganjam is expected to get severely affected by the cyclonic storm, and 15 rescue teams have been deployed in that area.
11 fire service units, six teams of the ODRAF and eight of the NDRF are in reserve for emergency purposes.
Similarly, in view of the very heavy rainfall alert, the leave of all West Bengal government employees have been cancelled with immediate effect till October 5.
The cyclonic storm is expected to move nearly westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts between Vishakhapatnam and Gopalpur, around Kalingapatnam, by the evening of September 26.
IMD Director General (DG) Dr Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the wind speed of the weather system will vary between 75 kmph to 85 kmph, gusting up to 95 kmph.