How Odisha, West Bengal And Andhra Pradesh Are Gearing Up To Tackle Cyclone Jawad
The cyclone is expected to cause heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal.
New Delhi: Cyclone Jawad is likely to make landfall in Puri district, with wind speeds touching 90-100 kmph. The IMD said the cyclonic storm was likely to reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off the coast of north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by Saturday morning.
The cyclone is expected to cause heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal. Jawad will be the third cyclone to hit the eastern coast this year after Yaas and Gulab.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting with top officials to review the situation. The Prime Minister directed officials to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated and to ensure maintenance of all essential services such as power, telecommunications, health and drinking water, the PMO said in a statement on Thursday.
Cyclone Jawad: NDRF Preparations
NDRF Director General Atul Karwal said 64 teams have been earmarked to tackle the impending cyclone. Out of the 46 teams, 19 are based in West Bengal, 17 in Odisha, 19 in Andhra Pradesh apart from seven in Tamil Nadu and two in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, PTI reported.
Atul Karwal said the NDRF was in touch with the integrated defence staff (IDS) for quick airlift of additional teams to the affected states.
"A total of 46 NDRF teams have been sent to Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh and are prepositioned there. IDS is on alert if the situation arises to airlift any of the teams. 18 more teams are on standby," Karwal told reporters.
An NDRF team is composed of around 30 people who are prepared with pole cutters, electric saws to chop fallen trees, an inflatable boat, and other relief and rescue gear.
Cyclone Jawad: Odisha Deploys 249 Teams
The Odisha government has issued a red alert in many regions near the east coast. Squally wind, gusting up to 65 kmph, is likely to start along and off the coast of north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha from Friday midnight. The wind speed will increase up to 100 kmph from Saturday evening.
The Director-General of IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, requested the fishermen to stay off the coast. Odisha special relief commissioner (SRC) PK Jena stated that the state government has prepared 249 teams, including 17 NDRF, 60 ODRAF, and 172 fire service personnel, and delegated them to the districts for deployment.
The Odisha government has banned fishing in the Bay of Bengal and Chilika Lake for three days beginning from December 3. All seaside districts have been ordered to remain vigilant.
Cyclone Jawad: Andhra Pradesh Puts Three Districts on Alert
The Andhra Pradesh government has put its three north coastal districts on high alert. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy spoke to Collectors of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts on Thursday and directed them to take all precautionary measures. A CMO release said the Chief Minister asked the Collectors to make arrangements for setting up relief camps wherever required.
"Ensure that nobody faces any problem because of the cyclonic storm. Be alert, particularly in the case of low-lying and vulnerable areas," Jagan told the collectors.
Cyclone Jawad: Very Heavy Rain In Kolkata, Midnapore Of West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee convened a high-level conference to assess the state's cyclone readiness. The government has issued a warning to fishermen not to go out into the seas.
In West Bengal, the Met department said heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over East Midnapore and heavy rain in West Midnapore, North- and South-24 Parganas, Jhargram and Howrah on Saturday.
On Sunday, heavy to very heavy showers is likely to lash one or two places in Kolkata, East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Howrah districts.
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