Cyclone Burevi has been moving at a speed of 6 kmph for the last six hours, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister R.B. Udayakumar said on Wednesday.
The Minister inspected the arrangements made in Madurai, accompanied by senior officials from the district administration. About 300 places have been identified as low-lying areas.
Speaking to reporters at the Collectorate, he said that the government machinery was fully prepared to face the post cyclonic impact in the southern districts. Due to Cyclone Burevi, which is 700 km off Kanniyakumari now, the wind speed was likely to be at 75 to 95 kmph in some parts of the State.
According to the weather forecast, the cyclone is expected to cross somewhere between Kanniyakumari and Pamban in Ramanathapuram district, he said.
Very heavy rainfall expected
As a sequel to the cyclonic influence, many parts in southern districts are likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall. As a precaution, surplus water in many water bodies is being discharged.
Officials in Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram and other southern districts are monitoring the progress of the cyclone and following the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast closely. The government has taken all precautions and teams including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have already taken positions in Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts, the Minister said.
The Minister then went to Pamban, Dhanushkodi-Arichalmunai and Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district accompanied by District Collector Dinesh Ponraj Oliver, Superintendent of Police E Karthik, Monitoring Officer Dharmendra Pratap Yadav and others.