BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government has launched a massive evacuation drive for cyclone Amphan, which has intensified into a super cyclonic storm. Six districts in the State have been put on high alert.
At 5.30 am on Tuesday, Amphan lay centered about 520 km south of Paradip. Senior IAS officer Madhu Sudan Padhi, who has been deputed to Balasore district to supervise the relief and rescue operations said focus was on to evacuate people from Bhograi, Baliapal, Remuna, Bahanga and Soro areas in the district.
Chandbali and Basudevpur blocks have been put on high alert. Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to respond to any emergency, said Bhadrak Collector Gyana Das.
The Odisha government has contingency plan ready to evacuate about 12 lakh people from the low lying and vulnerable areas of 12 coastal districts to safer places. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said damage is expected in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts under the influence of super cyclonic storm Amphan, which will likely weaken into extremely severe cyclone within six hours.
The national forecaster has predicted total destruction of thatched houses, extensive damage to kutcha houses, bending or uprooting of power and communication poles and widespread damage to standing crops in these districts. Met office has issued orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj districts and isolated heavy rainfall in Cuttack, Khurda and Puri districts on Tuesday.
Light to moderate rainfall or thundershower will likely occur at most places in coastal Odisha and at few places in the remaining districts of the State during the same period.
"Rainfall activity and winds will increase in the State between 3 am and 10 am on Wednesday," said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist, Umasankar Das. Winds gusting up to 125 km/hr will likely prevail along and off north Odisha coast - Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts on Wednesday morning. While Puri, Khurda, Cuttack and Jajpur districts will experience winds gusting up to 75 km/hr during the period.
In a special bulletin IMD, Odisha, said that Amphan will likely move north-northeastwards across north-west Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal - Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Island (Bangladesh) close to Sundarban on Wednesday afternoon or evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with winds gusting up to 180 km/hr.