Cyclone Titli to hit Odisha, Andhra Pradesh tomorrow; Naveen Patnaik orders evacuation of low-lying areas

As Cyclone Titli over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a “very severe” cyclonic storm and moved towards Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, state authorities stepped up measures to ensure minimum damage.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who held a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar to take stock of the situation, directed the collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Kendrapara and Jagtsinghpur districts to go for an immediate evacuation of the low-laying areas in the coastal belt.

Odisha chief secretary AP Padhi said the district administration of Ganjam has already started evacuating people in Gopalpur area, where the very severe storm is likely to make a landfall at about 5.30 am on Thursday. So far, about 1,000 people have been shifted to safer place, he said.

Padhi said immediate evacuation was being launched in view of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast of a tidal surge of about 1 metre during landfall of Cyclone Titli.

The state has deployed National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel in vulnerable districts. “We have not yet sought help of the army. If it is required, we may go for it,” Padhi said, while replying to a question.

According to ANI , while 14 NDRF teams have been positioned in Odisha’s Balasore, Sambhalpur, Gajapati, Nayagarh, Puri, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam and Bhubaneswar,  four NDRF teams have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, Srikakulum and Vijaynagram.

The Odisha chief minister has also asked the authorities to ensure “zero casualty” and keep the cyclone shelters ready for housing the people during disaster.

Schools, colleges, and anganwadi centres will be closed in Odisha on Thursday and Friday. The student union elections in colleges, earlier scheduled to be held on Thursday, have also been cancelled.

On Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s direction, the Odisha unit of the party opened a 24-hour emergency cell, which will function from the evening of 10 October to 16 October.

The people in the affected districts can contact on the Congress helpline numbers — 7609852131, 8895203001, 9861011962, 7008799364, 9348161633, 8847858020, 9937948868 and 9237010939.

Odisha’s food supplies and consumer welfare minister SN Patro urged the people to not to go for panic buying of essential commodities.

He instructed all district collectors to keep a tab on the market as a section of traders are allegedly attempting to hoard essential items. “There are sufficient food materials in the state and the people should not go for panic buying in view of the cyclone,” Patro said.

Red Warning for #Odisha: #CycloneTitli #CycloneTitliAlert pic.twitter.com/CAI52TIOxV

— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण 🇮🇳 (@ndmaindia) October 10, 2018

Meanwhile, a high alert was sounded on Wednesday in north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

“The very severe cyclonic storm will continue till 11.30 am on 11 October and the wind intensity is going to be 140-150 kmph, gusting to 165 kmph. The storm will cross near Srikakulam of north coastal Andhra Pradesh,” State Disaster Management Authority said in Amaravati.

IMD forecast for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh

While several areas in coastal Odisha were lashed by rain on Wednesday, the IMD has forecast “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at several places and “extremely heavy rainfall” at isolated areas till Thursday.

While districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till Thursday, the IMD has also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall for Kandhamal, Boudh and Dhenkanal district from Thursday.

The IMD said rainfall would be accompanied by gale wind speed reaching 140 to 150 kilometres per hour (kmph) and gusting to 165 kmph along and off Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts.

Storm surge of height of about 1 metre above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate the low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts.

The IMD has advised total suspension of fishing operations along the Odisha coast, and central and north Bay of Bengal.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) BP Sethi said the Odisha government was prepared to face the possible floods in view of the heavy rainfall across the state.

Around 300 motor boats have been arranged to assist in rescue operation. All the 836 cyclone and flood shelters have also been kept in a state of preparedness, while adequate relief materials arranged, Sethi was quoted as saying by PTI.

Heavy rainfall warning in West Bengal

Amid heightened Durga Puja preparations across West Bengal, the Regional Meteorological Department in Kolkata on Wednesday warned of intense spells of thundershower accompanied by gusty wind in six districts for the next four days.

“The cyclone is currently 240 kilometres away in the south-east direction from Odisha’s Gopalpur. It is expected to hit the coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh by tomorrow (Thursday) morning and curb towards Gangetic West Bengal,” a meteorological department official told IANS.

He said the storm would gradually lose its intensity after hitting the land.

“Due to the cyclone, there will be moderate to heavy rainfall in the south Bengal districts from 10 to 13 October, while the coastal districts like East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Hoogly and Howrah are likely to receive heavy rainfall,” the official said.

According to the IMD office, heavy to very heavy rainfall is on the cards for Kolkata and Howrah on 12 and 13 October.

“The clouds are likely to clear out from 14 October, which means the weather will be good on the five days of Durga Puja festivity, to be held from 15 to 19 October,” the official added.

With inputs from agencies and 101Reporters