Cyclone Fani: Indian Coast Guard takes pre-emptive measures

CHENNAI: As cyclonic storm Fani intensified into an extremely severe cyclone, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has initiated a series of pre-emptive measures using the lessons learnt from cyclone Ockhi to ensure safety of lives at sea.
Fani is likely to intensify and cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali to the south of Puri on May 3.
The Coast Guard has deployed nine ships and planes along the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry coasts and five ships in Odisha and West Bengal coasts.
Coast Guard ships are also kept on standby for mobilisation of disaster relief material in coordination with state authorities at Chennai and Vizag. Four Dornier sorties are being launched every day on an average for alerting fishing boats from Chennai, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.
The Coast Guard has coordinated with fisheries authorities of respective states and confirmed that no fishing boats are operating at sea, according to a press release from the Coast Guard.
Ships and aircraft deployed at sea are also keeping a lookout to warn or shepherd fishing boats if sighted at sea.
Special community interaction programmes are held at at Tuticorin, Pamban, Villupuram, Chennai, Krishnapatnam, Nizampatnam, Visakhapatnam, Uppalanaka (Kakinada), Paradip, Haldia, Gopalpur and Frazergunj for fishermen and coastal populace for undertaking safety measures.
Indian Coast Guard Remote Operating Stations located in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal are issuing security and safety messages on radio in vernacular languages.
Transmission of Navigational Telex (NAVTEX) warnings commenced on April 24. Preparedness meetings were conducted by chief secretaries in Chennai on April 24 and in Kolkata on April 30. The meetings were attended by ICG representatives, said the press release.
Disaster response teams have been kept on standby at Vizag, Chennai, Paradip, Gopalpur, Haldia and, Frazergunj.