With countdown beginning for the super cyclone Phailin to hit Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coastal areas tomorrow, all arrangements are in place to shift people living in the low lying areas to safer places.
In Odisha, evacuation process has begun in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsingh Pur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh and Khurda districts. The State Government has established control rooms to make information available to people. Met office in Bhubaneshwar has warned that the high intensity cyclone may damage houses and may cause large scale disruptions in communication , rail and road traffic.
Andhra Pradesh Government has made elaborate arrangements to evacuate about 64,000 people from the areas likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm. Man and machinery is ready in all coastal districts to face any eventuality apart from nine teams of National Disaster Response Force. AIR correspondent quoting Met office reports fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
The cyclonic storm Phalin has intensified. It will move northwestwards and cross North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha between Kalingapatnam and Paradip , close to Gopalpur by tomorrow evening. The Director General, India Meteorological Department, L S Rathore told the media in New Delhi that the cyclone which is very severe is moving with a maximum speed of 210 to 220 Kilometer per hour.
He said, it would lead to heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places and extremely heavy rain fall over coastal Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh from tonight. Mr Rathore said, it will continue and extend to interior Odisha from Saturday night.
Defence Minister A K Antony today asked the armed forces to be ready to move in to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in view of the impending severe cyclonic storm Phailin. The Ministry had received a request from the State Governments for rescue and relief operations in the wake of approaching cyclone.
He said two aircraft, 18 helicopters, 2 AN-32 aircraft are on a standby to move at a short notice besides asking its Eastern Air Command to coordinate relief operation with the task force positioned at Barrackpore.
