Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Monday expedited the evacuation of people from vulnerable areas after Murasu intensified into a severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal, officials said.
Southern Odisha is likely to receive heavy rainfall under the impact of the storm, which is expected to make landfall in adjoining Andhra Pradesh.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest bulletin, said that severe cyclonic storm Murasu was moving at a speed of 25 kmph and lay centred around 200 km east-northeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 210 km east-southeast of Nellore (Andhra Pradesh), 270 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 220 km east-southeast of Kavali (Andhra Pradesh), and 260 km southeast of Ongole (Andhra Pradesh).
“It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the southern Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph between Nellore and Narsapur close to Ongole between 11.30 pm Monday and 4 am Tuesday,” it added.
IMD sources said that several areas in Odisha have started experiencing light rainfall under the influence of the system and the intensity of the precipitation is likely to increase gradually.
Following the warning, the state has prioritised evacuation from vulnerable areas and strengthened emergency response mechanisms, officials said.
Also Read : Odisha steps up reservoir management ahead of Cyclone Murasu
Odisha’s Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said though the storm is likely to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, it would impact several parts of Odisha, particularly the southern districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri.
He said all the district collectors have been put on alert and the southern districts on high alert.
The minister said the disaster response teams which were deployed during Cyclone Arnab continued to remain positioned in the same places ahead of Cyclone Murasu.
Over 300 rescue teams comprising personnel of NDRF, ODRAF and Odisha Fire Service have been pre-positioned, he said.
The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in some places in Gajapati and Ganjam districts Monday along with thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 kmph.
Other districts, including Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Puri and Khordha, are also likely to experience rainfall.
