BHUBANESWAR: As cyclone Titli intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, the Odisha government on Wednesday sounded high alert in five districts asking collectors to gear up administrative machinery to face possible exigencies arising out of the situation.
The storm is expected hit Odisha coast on October 11 morning. Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara are the district where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked officials to evacuate people from low-lying areas to safer places.
The India Meteorology Department (IMD) said extensive damage to kutcha houses and damage to trees, electric poles, pucca roads is expected in these districts. IMD's latest forecast report suggested Titli which has turned into a severe cyclonic storm over west-central Bay of Bengal and is further intensifying into a 'very severe cyclonic storm.
The storm has moved northwards with a speed of 14kmph and is centred about 320km south-southeast of Gopalpur coast in Odisha and 270km southeast of Kalingapatnam coasts in Andhra Pradesh at present. "The system is expected to cross landmass between Gopalpur and Kalingapatam on October 11 morning," Bhubaneswar meteorological centre Director HR Biswas said, adding, "The wind speed during its landfall may exceed 150kmph."
Meanwhile, the storm, as expected, has triggered heavy rainfall across Odisha, especially in the coastal belt triggering flood like situation in the low-lying areas. IMD has issued extremely heavy rainfall warning for most of the districts till October 11.
Keeping in view the intensity of the storm, chief minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed state government's preparedness for the calamity at Secretariat this noon and asked all officers concerned to expedite evacuation of people in low-lying areas of vulnerable districts to cyclone shelters and nearby safer places with a focus on zero casualty.
Patnaik also asked officials to ensure relief facility in areas likely to be affected by the cyclone. Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, who attended the meeting, in his address to media said units of NDRF, ODRAF and fire services personnel have been deployed in vulnerable districts.
Taking the situation into account the state government has canceled leaves for all government employees and has asked all officials who are on leave to join duty immediately, the chief secretary informed. SRC Bishnupada Sethi said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) which is in touch with the state government has also alerted Indian Navy and Air force.
Sethi informed that the evacuation operation has already started in low-laying areas of coastal districts and 753 persons have already been shifted to safer places in Ganjam so far. On the other hand, keeping the situation in view the state government declared closure of schools, colleges, Anganwadi Centres and other educational institutions across state for two days on October 11 and 12.
The students union polls in colleges and universities throughout Odisha scheduled for October 11 has also been scrapped. The chief minister's office (CMO), however, said teachers have been asked to remain on duty during this period. EoM/Sudarsan Maharana