<span style="color: #222222;">Cabinet Secretary P. K. Sinha has directed that all necessary measures be taken to complete evacuation of people from areas in the path of cyclone Fani and maintain adequate quantities of essential supplies such as food, drinking water and medicines etc. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Reviewing the preparedness of the State and Central Agencies concerned again today to deal with the situation arising out of the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm FANI, at the meeting of National Crisis Management Committee, NCMC, the Cabinet Secretary advised all concerned to make adequate preparations to ensure maintenance of essential services such as Power, Telecommunications in the event of damages caused to them. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Officers of concerned State Governments apprised the NCMC of preparatory measures put in place for dealing with cyclonic Storm. Odisha informed that around 900 cyclone shelters have been made ready to house the evacuees and requested for two helicopters to be stationed in the state for emergency food distribution. Cabinet Secretary directed the Ministry of Defence to meet the requirements of Odisha government.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Railways, Civil Aviation and Shipping Ministries were advised to review their preparedness well in time and ensure quick resumption of their services in the event of any disruption. </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">States have issued advisories and are ensuring that fishermen do not venture into the sea.  IMD has been issuing three hourly bulletins with latest forecast to all the concerned States. Home Ministry is also in continuous touch with the State Governments and the Central Agencies concerned.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The India Meteorological Department, IMD informed that FANI is expected to touch Odisha coast south of Puri on the afternoon of Friday with wind speeds ranging up to 180 kilometres per hour causing heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of the State. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The storm is likely to impact coastal districts of Odisha including Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore. In West Bengal, districts of East and West Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogly, Jhargram and Kolkata along with Srikakulam, Vijayanagram and Visakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh are likely to be affected.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">IMD also warned of storm surge of about 1.5 meter height which may inundate low lying coastal areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha at the time of landfall.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations. Army and Air Force units in the three States have also been put on standby. NDRF has deployed 12 teams in Andhra Pradesh, 28 teams in Odisha and 6 teams in West Bengal. Additionally 32 teams have been kept on standby. The teams are equipped with boats, tree cutters, telecom equipment etc.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal participated in the NCMC Meeting through Video Conference. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Senior Officers from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Shipping, Civil Avaiation, Railways, Fisheries, Power, Telecommunications, Defence, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Food Processing, Health, IMD, NDMA and NDRF also attended the meeting. NCMC will meet again tomorrow to take stock of the emerging situation.</span><br />'' <br />''  <br />