Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday said around three lakh people have so far been evacuated from the coastal areas of the state in view of the very severe cyclonic storm Titli.
After holding the second review meeting at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) during the day, he said, “If required, more people will be evacuated to safer places.”
Stressing on the government’s “zero casualty” disaster management policy, Patnaik said, “The state government has been closely monitoring the situation. The district collectors are already on high alert.”
Evacuation was carried out in the five coastal districts of Ganjam, Puri, Khura, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara.
The state government’s decision to go for massive evacuation drive was taken following an IMD forecast about a tidal surge of about one metre during the landfall of the cyclonic storm Titli at 5 am on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said rainfall would be accompanied by gale wind speed reaching 140 to 150 kmph and gusting to 165 kmph along and off Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts.
Chief Secretary A P Padhi said all those living in vulnerable areas were being taken to safer places.
“We have 836 shelters ready to house the people,” deputy SRC Pravat Kumar Mohapatra told PTI.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who earlier in the day took stock of the situation, asked the Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Kendrapara and Jagtsinghpur districts to go for an immediate evacuation of people in the low-lying areas in the coastal belt.
Patnaik also ordered closure of all schools, colleges and anganwadi centres Thursday and Friday in view of the IMD’s forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall across the state. The college students’ union elections, earlier scheduled to be held Thursday, have also been cancelled.
The Chief Secretary said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel have already been positioned in vulnerable districts.
“We have not yet sought help of Army. If required we may go for it,” Padhi said replying to a question.
The IMD said cyclone Titli moved at a speed of about 15 kmph during last six hours over west-central Bay of Bengal and lay centred at about 280 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.
The storm is likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coast between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around Thursday morning, it said.
Thereafter, it is likely to re-curve northeastward, move towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha and weaken gradually, said Director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, H R Biswas.
While several areas in coastal Odisha were lashed by rain on Wednesday, the IMD has forecast “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at several places and “extremely heavy rainfall” at isolated areas till Thursday under the impact of the very severe cyclonic storm.
Districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till Thursday, the IMD said.
It also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall for Kandhamal, Boudh and Dhenkanal district from Thursday.
The sea condition is very high over west-central Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to be phenomenal over the west-central and the adjoining north Bay of Bengal and along and off the south Odisha coast till Thursday, it said.
Storm surge of height of about 1 metre above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate the low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts, it said.
The IMD advised total suspension of fishing operations and shifting of coastal hutment dwellers to safe places. Fishermen along the Odisha coast, and central and north Bay of Bengal were advised not to venture into sea till Friday.
In view of adverse weather conditions, it has advised hoisting of local warning signal LW-4 at all ports of Odisha.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said the Odisha government was prepared to face the possible floods in view of the heavy rainfall across the state.
Sethi said the state government has already informed the Air Force and Indian Navy about the situation and may take their help if required.
Around 300 motor boats have been arranged to assist in rescue operation as there is a likelihood of flood situation due to possibility of heavy rains till October 11.
All the 836 cyclone and flood shelters have also been kept in a state of preparedness, while adequate relief materials arranged, he said.
OP/Agencies
Here are the live updates on cyclone Titli:
{1:30}:
{12: 57: } Chief Secretary A P Padhi informs cancellation of student union elections across the state. Elections were scheduled for Thursday.
[12:53 PM, 10/10/2018] Titli to hit Gopalpur Thursday 5.30 am
[12:53 PM, 10/10/2018] The eye of the storm will pass the Odisha coast between 8.30 am to 9 am Thursday
[12:42 PM, 10/10/2018] All educational institutions and anganwadi centres will remain closed Oct 11 and 12.
[12:42 PM, 10/10/2018] State is in constant touch with Centre.
[12:43 PM, 10/10/2018] If required, help of army will be sought.
[12:45 PM, 10/10/2018] Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Khurda districts asked to evacuate people residing in low lying areas
Oct 10, 2018
Cyclonic storm Titli very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by noon. Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan is taking an urgent review and situation being monitored at highest level, the Press Information Bureau tweeted.
The Odisha government has announced the closure of all schools and colleges from today in four districts of the state as a precautionary measure against Cyclone Titli. Due to a deep depression over Bay of Bengal, the storm is heading towards the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast and is likely to cause heavy rainfall in the state.
Meanwhile, the state government has announced closure of schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts from today.
“Six teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been sent to Gajapati, Puri, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts and seven Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) units have been deployed in Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Kalahandi districts,” informed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi.
Besides, the SRC has asked the Collectors of affected districts to ensure that 836 numbers of multi-purpose shelters are kept ready to accommodate maximum people and directed the officials to evacuate people in the risk zones if the situation demands.
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued red alert and predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places with isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts in the next 24 hours.
Besides, orange warning and heavy to very heavy rainfall alert has been issued at isolated places in Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Balasore districts till the morning of October 11.
The IMD has advised the state government to suspend fishing operations and evacuate the coastal hutment dwellers to safer places.
The fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast and central and north Bay of Bengal till October 12 and the port authorities directed to hoist local warning signal no-4.
Following the warning, the Odisha government on Tuesday had come up with a detailed blueprint to ensure zero casualties.
Talking to mediapersons after presiding over a preparatory review meeting at the State Secretariat, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said all educational institutions in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts will remain closed on Wednesday. “The state government will take similar decision for other districts on Wednesday evening after assessing the intensity of the cyclonic storm,” he added.
He also informed that six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 10 of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed in all the vulnerable districts with rescue equipment.
Asked about the evacuation of the people of the low-lying areas of Ganjam and Gajapati districts, Padhi said the decision to this effect will be taken on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, the State Fire Services department has also kept itself prepared for the approaching cyclone.
As informed by the Chief Fire Officer Sukant Sethi, the leave of all Fire services staff has been cancelled. Instructions have been given to all fire stations to keep the necessary equipment ready. About 20 teams in the North Odisha districts have been kept in readiness and they will be deployed in the affected areas if necessary.
In a letter to the collectors of the 13 districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Boudh and Kandhamal, the Health Department has asked them to appoint one nodal officer and keep adequate generators for emergency. Besides, the CDMOs have been asked to keep adequate medicines and evacuate pregnant women and post-natal mothers and keep them either in the gynaecology ward of the hospital or at the Maa Ghar.
PNN
