AMN /NEW DELHI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed senior officers of the Central Government to maintain close coordination with officers of the concerned states to ensure preventive measures, and also to take effective steps for relief and rescue operations as required
in view of cyclonic storm Fani. Mr. Modi today chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness for cyclone Fani.
During the meeting, he was briefed on the likely path of the cyclone and the ongoing precautionary and preparatory measures being undertaken. These include provision of adequate resources, deployment of teams from National Disaster Response Force and the Armed Forces, arrangements to provide drinking water and stand by systems to restore power and telecom services.
The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and other senior officials from the IMD, NDRF and National Disaster Management Authority.
Home Ministry said in a release that Cyclone- FANI is expected to touch Odisha coast south of Puri in the forenoon tomorrow with the wind speed ranging up to 180 kilometres per hour. The Ministry said, according to India Meteorological Department, IMD it is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Odisha including Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore.
In West Bengal, districts of East and West Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogly, Jhargram and Kolkata alongwith Srikakulam, Vijayanagram and Visakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh are also likely to be affected.
IMD has also warned of storm surge of about 1.5 metre height which may inundate low lying coastal areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha at the time of landfall.
It further said, Ministry of Home Affairs is in continuous touch with the State Governments and the Central Agencies concerned. NDRF has pre-positioned 54 teams which are equipped with boats, tree-cutters and telecom equipments in five States and has kept 31 teams on standby.
Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations. Army and Air Force units in the three States have also been put on standby. Surveillance aircraft and helicopters are carrying out serial surveillance along the Eastern coast.