Cyclone Yaas: Odisha puts all coastal districts on high alert

Written by

Sagar Malik

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Last updated on May 22, 2021, 10:37 am

Just days after the monstrous Cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc across several states in western India, another cyclonic storm is taking hold in the East Coast. A low-pressure system is likely to form in the Bay of Bengal today and will intensify by Monday, the weather department said. The Odisha government has issued high alert for all coastal and adjoining districts. Here are more updates.

Odisha Chief Secretary holds meet with top state officials

Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra held a meeting with top officials on Friday and said the state is ready to handle the situation. The meet included officials of all line departments, NDRF, Coast Guard, INS Chilika, DG Police, and DG Fire Services, ANI reported. Further, electricity companies, health departments, rural and urban water supply departments have been asked to stay prepared.

2 airplanes, several ships of Coast Guard patrolling the sea

Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep K Jena held a series of meetings and said two airplanes and ships of the Indian Coast Guard are patrolling the sea to aid fishing boats and guide ships in reaching the shore before the storm hits. Meanwhile, 39 fishermen who were in the deep sea were expected to return to the shore by Saturday morning, officials said.

Forest department alerted; Generators, shelters kept ready

Seventeen teams of the NDRF, 20 battalions of ODRAF, and 100 teams of the Fire Services are on alert to initiate relief and rescue operations. The Forest Department has been asked to ensure timely cleaning of roads that are likely to be blocked in the aftermath of the possible storm. Generators have been kept ready to ensure unhindered drinking water supply in the state.

No fishing allowed in Bay of Bengal from today

The cyclone is also likely to hit the West Bengal coast on May 26. Power Minister of the state, Aroop Biswas, on Friday met with officials of the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation to review preparations. Biswas said transformers and electric poles were being kept ready. Fishermen have been asked to return to the shore and no fishing will be allowed starting Saturday.

'Kept teams in every block,' says Minister

"We have sent a large number of transformers and electric poles to various places. We want to be prepared this time to combat the situation. We have also kept our teams in every block to act immediately once the storm passes," Biswas reportedly said.

Cyclone Tauktae destroyed hundreds of villages, killed dozens

Cyclone Tauktae, an extremely severe cyclonic storm, had hit the states of Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, earlier this month. Hundreds of houses and villages were destroyed across states and dozens of people died in storm-related incidents. A barge sank off the coast of Mumbai, reportedly killing 51 people while dozens are still missing. Nearly 200 survived the tragedy.

What precautions can you take to stay safe?

Stay inside as far as possible and seek shelter in the strongest part of the building/house. Stay away from the windows. If your building starts to break up, protect yourself using mattresses/blankets/rugs under a strong table or bench. Turn off the gas and disconnect electrical appliances to avoid short circuits and damages. Do not go outside until it has been officially advised.