Bhubaneswar, : The Odisha government today deployed nine units of NDRF team as Joint Typhoon Warning Center of the USA (JTWC) warned that the extremely severe cyclonic storm cross near Balukhanda in Puri on May 3 afternoon.
The JTWC sources said the landfill would be about 175 kmph and the cyclone Fani would pass through Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj in Odisha before proceedings towards West Bengal.
However, as per the IMD bulletin the extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani is very likely to move northwestwards and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and cross Odisha coast near Satpada in Puri district on May 3 afternoon with a maximum wind speed of 175-185 kmph gusting to 205 kmph.
After landfall, it is likely to move to Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts of Odisha and then enter into West Bengal.
The state government today asked all the tourists staying in Puri to leave the place by May 2 and asked all the hoteliers not to book their hotel for the visitors till 5.
The government also directed that all the educational institutions in the state will be closed orders and cancelled all the scheduled examinations.
Out of nine NDRF Team, three NDRF teams had been deployed in Puri and Jagatsinghpur each and two teams sent to Bhadrak while one NDRF team was deployed in Balasore.
This apart the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams were also deployed at the strategic location to be pressed for relief and rescue operation.
Five Senior IAS officers posted at the five coastal districts likely to be worst affected by the Cyclone Fani to supervise the relief and rescue operation.
All the 879 Cyclone shelters were kept ready and the collectors were asked to start the evacuation of the people residing in the low lying areas and areas closed coast and accommodate them in the Cyclone shelters.
The state government had urged the centre to provide two helicopters and more NDRF team for the relief and rescue operation considering the gravity of the situation.
The Collectors of 17 districts were alerted and asked to take all possible measures to face the eventuality and the leave of the government employees have been cancelled in these districts.
(UNI)
