Indus Valley Times

BHUBANESWAR,MAY 3 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over the southeast Bay of Bengal around May 6. It added that under the influence of the weather system, a low-pressure area may form over the same region during the subsequent 48 hours.

Naveen Patnaik met with state officials and asked them to be prepared for any eventuality. He issued directions to shift people who live in low-lying areas to cyclone shelters, if necessary, and formulate plans for relief and restoration works in the aftermath of a cyclone.

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Recalling cyclone Fani, which hit the Odisha coast on May 2, 2019, Patnaik said determination of the path of cyclones during summer is difficult, reported news agency PTI.

Patnaik asked Chief Secretary PK Jena to review the situation regularly and Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu to work in coordination with all departments and districts.

An official of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar told PTI that the IMD has not yet predicted any cyclone.

The low-pressure area has to further develop into a depression and then deep depression before it can become a cyclone, he said.

Jena said the state will work to ensure that there is not even a single casualty if a cyclone hits the state. He added that all the Collectors of 18 coastal and adjoining districts have been alerted and cyclone shelters are ready.

A total of 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 20 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been kept on standby, he said.

Several summer cyclones have hit the state over the years — 2019 (Fani), 2020 (Amphan) and 2021 (Yaas).

-PTI