Odisha government asks all district collectors to remain alert

With the IMD making a forecast of the cyclone and likely subsequent floods in the state, the Odisha government Monday asked all the district collectors to remain alert till the situation fizzles out, official sources said.

Based on the IMD forecast, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi asked districts administration to remain alert and keep the administrative machinery in full preparedness to meet the eventuality.

"All officers to remain in headquarters and not to avail leave till the cyclone situation is over. District Emergency Operation Centres to function round the clock and the situation is closely monitored," Sethi said in a letter.

Earlier, the National Emergency Response Centre (NERC), under the Home Ministry, had also cautioned the Odisha government against a looming cyclonic storm in the next two to three days.

Additional Director General (ADG) of the IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told some Odia television channels said that the depression is now moving towards Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast. The system is most likely intensify into a deep depression on Tuesday, Mohapatra said.

"Going by the satellite imagery, the deep depression is most likely to concentrate into a cyclonic storm by the morning on Wednesday and hit the coast on Thursday morning.

"Under its influence, a strong wind will blow across the Odisha coast from the evening on October 10 till the afternoon on October 11 while the wind speed will increase to 80-100 kmph in the south coastal Odisha in the morning on October 11," Mohapatra said.

H R Biswas, the director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, also confirmed in the morning that a "depression has been recorded at a distance of around 720 km from Gopalpur coast in Odisha". He said the state is likely to experience wind speed up to 90 kmph due to the possible cyclone.

The state was likely to experience heavy rainfall coming Wednesday and Thursday, he said, adding that the districts which were likely to be affected due to heavy rain had been identified as Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri and Jagatsinghpur on October 9.

Similarly, the IMD issued Red warning and Orange warning for certain districts during which extremely heavy rainfall and heavy rainfall, respectively, are likely to occur on October 10.

While Red warning (where extremely heavy rainfall to occur) has been issued for Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district, Orange warning (heavy to very heavy rainfall) is made for the districts of Khura, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhardak and Balasore districts on October 10.

A red warning will also continue for the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Kandhamal, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jjpur, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Balasore districts on October 11.

Rainfall will decline from October 12, the IMD said.

Squally winds reaching a speed of 45 to 55 km per hour, gusting to 65 km per hour, were also likely to commence along and off Odisha coast from October 10. "It is likely to increase to 70 to 80 kmph to 90 kmph from the evening of October 10," the SRC said quoting the IMD forecast.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into deep sea areas of central Bay of Bengal during October 8 to 12 and north Bay of Bengal between October 9 to 12.

Fishermen wherever in the deep sea are advised to return to coast by night of October 8.

Meanwhile, the IMD also issued a flood advisory for Odisha as extremely heavy rainfall has been predicted for two days on October 10 and 11.

"I view of this warning, there is the likelihood of a rapid rise in water level in the river basins of Subarnarekha including Budhabalang, Brahmani & Baitarani, Mahanadi, Rusikulya, Bansadhara and Nagabali basins of Odisha from October 10 onward," an advisory issued by the IMD said.

It further said: "Strict vigil has to be maintained at all vulnerable places for flooding and releases from dams have to be undertaken as per Standard Operation Procedure and warning downstream areas well in advance of release taking into consideration the downstream flooding conditions and high swell waves associated with movement of the cyclonic storm."

Deputy SRC PK Mohapatra said that the state government has put the NDRF and ODRAF on alert for any eventuality.

(With inputs from agencies.)