Bhubaneswar : The Odisha government has kept in readiness 17 NDRF teams, 60 ODRAF teams besides 171 Fire services teams for relief and rescue operations in view of Cyclonic storm Jawad likely to hit the Andhra Pradesh- Odisha
coast on December 5 next.
Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena meanwhile, had reviewed the cyclone preparedness with the collectors of all the districts likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm for the deployment of teams in vulnerable areas.
Met sources said the Deep Depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal has moved northnorthwestwards and intensified further into Cyclonic Storm ‘JAWAD’.
It is likely to move northwestwards and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh – south Odisha coasts by December 4morning.
Thereafter it is likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move along Odisha coast reaching Puri around December 5.
Subsequently, it is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards towards the West Bengal coast.
Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said the cyclone is likely to make landfall by December 4 evening or December 5 morning before recurving north, north-east and heading towards West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Mr Jena said after hitting the coast, the system may again divert to sea. There is also a possibility of the cyclonic system not hitting the coast if it changes its path further.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack Khordha, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Malkangiri, Keonjhar, Anugul Dhenkanal and Nayagarha from December 3 to 5 next.
Met sources said squally wind speed reaching 45-55 KMPH gusting to 65KMPH is likely to commence along and off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts from the midnight of December 3 and increase gradually to 80-90KMPH gusting to 100 KMPH from the evening of December 4 for the subsequent 12 hours.
As the sea condition would be rough fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from December 3 to 5. Distance cautionary signal No 1 has been hoisted in all ports of the state.
Mr Jena said all fishermen who were in the sea had already returned to the coast.
The district collectors of Ganjam, Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack have been asked to evacuate the persons from the low lying areas.
The SRC advised people to store drinking water for two days and not to resort to panic buying essential commodities stating that there is enough stock of goods in the market.
In view of the possible cyclonic storm, the east coast railway has cancelled more than 90 trains passing and originating from its jurisdiction for two days beginning tomorrow for the safety of the passengers.
The authorities have closed the Similipal for the tourists on December 4 and 5 and the Khordha district administration has cancelled the leave of all government officials.
The international sand festival and the Konark Dance Festival being held on Chandrabhaga beach in Konark, Puri from December 1 are being called off with immediate effect.
The state government has banned fishing all along the Odisha coast.
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