Bhubaneswar: The low pressure area over south Thailand and its neighbourhood has emerged into central Andaman Sea yesterday and is expected to become a depression in central Bay of Bengal by today afternoon. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an alert for formation of Cyclone Jawad that may reach the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by 4th December.
The Cyclone is expected to wreck havoc in southern and coastal districts of Odisha with Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur remaining highly exposed. Other coastal districts are also expected to get heavy rains from 3rd December to 5th December. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea as the weather will not be conducive from 3rd December to 5th December.
The Odisha government has readied itself to face the cyclone. Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra held a meeting with all the district Collectors that are expected to be affected and directed them to be ready with men and materials. It has also been decided to send response teams to the districts from today. Twenty ODRAF teams will be divided into sixty units and positioned in all vulnerable areas of the coastal districts. 14 NDRF teams will also be positioned to help the authorities in relief and rescue operations. The Fires Services Department will deploy 200 teams according to the need. All these teams will be positioned in their respective areas by Friday morning.
The National Crisis Management Committee led by Union Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba also reviewed the preparedness for the impending cyclone in Bay of Bengal that is likely to affect Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. As a precautionary measure, the East Coast Railway authorities have decided to cancel 95 mail and express trains running through its jurisdiction on 3rd and 4th December.