Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 The Odisha government on Monday announced the closure of all educational institutions in six southern districts and started moving people from vulnerable areas to safety as severe cyclonic storm Arnab headed towards making landfall on October 28.
In its latest bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone was very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm over the same region during the next 12 hours.
“It is very likely to cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a very severe cyclonic storm with the maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting up to 140 kmph by the forenoon of October 28.”
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that though the severe cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall between Andhra Pradesh and Yanam in Puducherry, Odisha would be heavily impacted, witnessing very heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 80 kmph.
“We do not want to take any chance and therefore made preparations at the highest level to protect life and property based on Odisha’s ‘zero casualty’ policy during the calamities,” Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari told reporters.
Fishing in the sea and tourist entry into hills, waterfalls, dams, and scenic destinations across the vulnerable six districts have also been banned.
The minister said the government has already mobilised its men and machinery in the six vulnerable southern Odisha districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur.
Eight ministers and experienced senior officers have been deputed to separate places to monitor preparations, Pujari said.
The minister said all cyclone centres, along with some temporary ones, have been readied to house the people being removed from the low-lying and vulnerable areas.
“Some districts have already started the evacuation process. In the first phase, pregnant women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and children are being shifted to the cyclone shelters,” Pujari added.
Apart from this, rescue teams, comprising personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the Fire and Emergency Services and the police, have been pre-positioned at vulnerable areas, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.
He said the state was in touch with the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force to avail their assistance, if needed.
Pujari said that after landfall, the cyclone is projected to move to certain areas within Odisha’s territory and cause heavy rainfall and gale-force winds. The state government is “fully prepared to tackle the situation”, and there is no reason to panic, the minister said.
“Fishing in the sea has been banned, while tourist entry into hills, waterfalls, dams, and scenic destinations across the vulnerable six districts has also been banned,” he said, adding that landslides are a major concern for the state when the cyclone hits in the eastern ghat areas.
The vulnerable landslide points have already been identified, and people living there are being evacuated to safety.
He said that as the sea conditions become rough to very rough, the government has prohibited public entry to sea beaches. Also, schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres in these six districts will remain closed on October 28 and 29.
The government has cancelled leave of its employees in the identified districts, and control rooms have been opened to coordinate relief and rescue operations, Pujari said.
The agriculture department has advised farmers to harvest and safely store crops that are 80-85 per cent mature.
Under the influence of the impending cyclone, rains may start from Monday night in parts of Odisha, Pujari said, citing the IMD forecast.
“To handle emergencies, 24 ODRAF teams and six NDRF teams have been deployed,” an official statement said, adding that district collectors have been put on high alert.
Officials also said that in view of inclement weather, the South Coast Railway has cancelled eight trains and short-terminated two.
Meanwhile, Odisha’s SRC has issued a strict warning against circulation of false, misleading and speculative weather forecasts and warnings.
“It is observed that some individuals and self-proclaimed weather experts are disseminating speculative cyclone tracks, landfall locations, timelines and impact assessments without adequate scientific validation or reference to official forecasts issued by the IMD,” it said and warned against disseminating misleading information.
(PTI News)
