Evacuation from vulnerable areas to be completed by today: Odisha Chief secy on Cyclone Amphan

In view of cyclone Amphan, evacuation of people from vulnerable areas in Odisha will be completed by Tuesday, Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said.

Chief secretary Asit Tripathy along with Additional Chief Secretary and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena, Principal Secretary Home Sanjiv Chopra discussed with Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on preparedness for ensuing cyclone Amphan.

"The issues relating to evacuation, relief, rescue and immediate restoration of road communication, power connectivity etc were discussed. Chief Secretary appraised that the evacuation of people from vulnerable area started from Tuesday and would be completed by the evening today," according to the statement.

Tripathy also appraised that we have moved manpower and equipment for immediate restoration of road and power communication from both sides. Arrangements have been made to resume water supply very quickly just after the cyclone.

The statement further said, "Cabinet Secretary assured of all assistance to State for countering the cyclone. He directed different central departments to stay in touch with State departments."

"Additional chief secretary Jena appraised that in addition to PRI and local administration, we are using local-based alert system (LBAS) and self broadcasting for extending our outreach to people in the management of the cyclone," it added.

Cyclone Amphan will cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts by Wednesday night with a very devastating windspeed which is expected to cause large scale and extensive damage to structures, India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said today.

"Amphan is the most intense cyclone - the second super cyclone - which has been formed in the Bay of Bengal after 1999. We are utilizing all tools and technologies to monitor it. The current wind speed of Amphan is around 200 - 240 kmph, it is moving North-Northwest direction at 15 kmph, but we expect this speed to increase," Mohapatra said in a press briefing here.

"Amphan will cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatia Island tomorrow afternoon/evening, speed during landfall will be in the range of 155 - 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, a very devastating speed," he said.

Speaking further, the IMD chief said: "The devastating wind speed is expected to cause large scale and extensive damage to structures, poles, thatched and asbestos houses, hoardings, trees. We are expecting high wind speed and heavy rainfall to occur together."

Mohapatra said that IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in North coastal Odisha and extremely heavy rainfall in East and West Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogli, Kolkata and adjoining districts on Wednesday.

( With inputs from ANI )