Bhubaneswar: A deep depression expected to turn into "a very severe cyclonic storm" over Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, on Wednesday crossed the North Andaman Islands and lay centred over the east central Bay of Bengal, 950 km southeast of Paradip, the latest IMD bulletin said.
The deep depression with a wind speed is 78 km per hour hit the Andaman Islands near uninhabited Landfall Island at around 5:00 pm causing very heavy rainfall, a report from Port Blair said.
It would intensify into a cyclonic storm in next 12 hours and and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast between Kalingapatnam and Paradip by October 12 night as "a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 175-185 kmph," the bulletin said.
The Odisha government issued a high alert and cancelled the Dusshera holidays of employees in 14 districts with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asking collectors to ensure the safety of the people.
The alert was issued to Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts. It was decided to deploy Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams in the 14 districts from October 10, Revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro said and directed that a mock drill by ODRAF and fire personnel be held.
Patro appealed to the people not to panic as the government was taking all possible measures to face the impending cyclone. Earlier, the state government had asked the Union Home Ministry to keep helicopters ready for rescue and relief operations. Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said that the authorities were asked to stock up on food and relief materials at cyclone shelters. Stating that all district collectors have been provided satellite phones so that they could remain in touch with the government, he said that mobile service providers were asked to ensure that towers were repaired immediately in case of damage in the cyclone.
Distant Cautionary Signal Number One (DC-I) was hoisted at Paradip and Gopalpur ports. Fishermen who were in the deep seas were asked to return to the coast immediately.
"Sea will be rough to very rough after 12 hours," the bulletin added. Official sources said the cyclone situation was likely to be discussed at a cabinet meeting scheduled in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
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