New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting on the cyclone-related situation in the country, sources said on Thursday. Modi was being briefed by top officials on the possible cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal that could affect north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. The weather office said that the intensity of rainfall in Odisha will increase from December 4th, especially in the coastal districts and interior districts that will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall. The IMD has issued a red warning in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts in Odisha experiencing a maximum wind speed of 90 kmph from December 4 morning for 12 hours and rainfall.
With cyclonic storm reaching Odisha coast the state government had asked collectors of 13 districts to prepare for the evacuation of the people and has chalked out a disaster management strategy by requisitioning NDRF, ODRAF and fire department personnel for rescue and relief operation. During the evacuation, priority will be given to pregnant women, children and elderly persons. The Coast Guard Disaster Relief Teams (DRTs) with inflatable boats, lifebuoys and life jackets are on standby for disaster response operations. Medical teams and ambulances have been kept ready for swift mobilization.
Meanwhile, fishermen have been advised to not venture into the southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal till December 5th. A low-pressure system is expected to form over the Andaman Sea by 2 am on December 1st and consolidate into a depression by December 2nd before developing into a cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal over the next 24 hours, the IMD had said in its forecast on Tuesday afternoon. Due to the influence of a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, the state is expected to receive heavy rainfall from December 3 to 5 in South Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.