A large number of marine fishermen of Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts have anchored their boats in the fishing harbours and jetties in view of the impending cyclone.
IMD officials said Oct 24 and 25 could see wind speeds rise to 100-120 kmph.
"The low-pressure area is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm. On Sunday, we advised all fishermen to return to the coast due to the cyclone warning.Many boats returned from the sea on Monday. Some boats that went out to sea a few days ago are still returning. Through loudspeakers, we are warning fishermen against venturing into the sea. The fisheries department will take action against fishermen who ignore adverse weather warnings," said Bijay Kar, assistant fisheries officer, Paradip.
"Many fishing vessels are fitted with two-way communication transponders. The device provides real-time position of boats, weather alerts, potential fishing zone advisories, diesel management models, token management models, and crew and catch modules," he added.
"Hundreds of fishing vessels anchored at the fishing harbours in Kharinashi, Jamboo, Talachua and other places in the district on Monday," said Tusharkanta Sardar, a marine fisherman of Kharinashi.
"We depend on the sea for our livelihood. The imminent cyclone has forced us not to venture into the sea. We expect bad weather but a continuous spell affects us badly," said Ranjit Mandal, a fisherman of Paradip.