Agencies braces Cyclone Feni

Central and State agencies are fully geared to meet any eventuality arising out of cyclone Fani. Defence forces are prepared as Odisha braces for the cyclonic storm. 

The extremely severe cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall near Puri tomorrow with wind speeds ranging up to 180 kilometres per hour. 

The storm is likely to impact coastal districts of Odisha including Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore. 

Under the influence of the Cyclone, squally winds gusting up to 85 km per hour are expected tonight along and off the North Andhra Pradesh Coast.

The 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 28 teams in Odisha, 12 in Andhra Pradesh and 6 in West Bengal. Additionally, 32 teams have been kept on standby.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the preparedness and said around eight lakh people will be evacuated from vulnerable areas to safe places by Thursday evening.

Special Relief Commissioner BP Sethi said, 880 cyclone shelters in coastal and southern districts have been kept ready to accommodate the evacuees. 

One lakh dry food packets are being kept ready at different places.

Leave of all doctors and health officials and police personnel have been cancelled.

74 trains have been cancelled under East Coast Railway Zone.

Educational institutions have been asked to remain closed for three days from today.

The Centre has directed that all necessary measures be taken to complete evacuation of people from areas in the path of the Cyclone. at the meeting of National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) in New Delhi yesterday, Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha again reviewed the preparedness of the State and Central Agencies concerned to deal with the situation arising out of the Cyclone. 

The NCMC will meet again today to take stock of the situation.