BHUBANESWAR:
Odisha government on Tuesday mobilised rescue personnel and relief material as
India Meteorological Department (
IMD) predicted that a severe cyclonic storm '
Titli' was likely to hit Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh Coast on Thursday morning.
The
cyclone, which is likely to make its landfall between Gopalpur and
Kalingapatnam around morning of Thursday, may trigger heavy rain and damage thatched roofs, uproot trees and electric poles with winds gusting up to 125 kmph.
Following the forecast of severe cyclonic storm, the state government has announced closure of schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati and Jagatsinghpur districts from Wednesday. “Depending on the rainfall situation we will take a call on the closure of educational institutions in other districts,” said chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi after reviewing the preparedness.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and Odisha Disaster Management Authority managing director Bishnupada Sethi said he had asked collectors of Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh, Puri to relocate women, children, physically challenged and elderly persons from low lying areas to safer places.
“Cyclonic storm Titli lay centred at about 530 km of Gopalpur and 480 km of Kalingapatnam and is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards for some more time and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around morning of October 11,” said a special bulletin issued by the IMD.
Teams of
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and fire service personnel have been sent to vulnerable districts. District emergency centres and control rooms will operate round the clock. As many as 300 power boats have been prepositioned in different districts.
Additional director general of IMD Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “The severe cyclonic storm would cause heavy to very heavy rain in most parts of the state while some pockets may have very severe rainfall and may cause widespread damage. Squally wind at 125 kmph may uproot electric poles and trees and damage thatched houses and crops.”
Storm surge of height of about 0.5 m above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low lying areas of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts of Odisha at the time of landfall on October 11.
IMD has predicted that there may be damage to thatched huts, minor damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of branches and major damage to Kutcha and minor damage to Pucca roads. Some damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards is also expected. Sea water inundation in low lying areas after erosion of Kutcha embankments is feared too, an official release from the IMD said.
District collectors have been asked to arrange cooked food and drinking water at around 900 cyclone centres across the state. All fishing activities have been suspended in the sea till October 12.