Odisha deploys rescue teams as cyclone approaches Andhra coast

BHUBANESWAR: With severe cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ set to make landfall on Tuesday, the Odisha government has deployed rescue teams in the southern districts as a precautionary measure.

The severe cyclone over the Bay of Bengal is set to make landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla, in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning.

The system was moving in the sea at a speed of 10 kmph and lay centered around 80 km southeast of Nellore, 120 km north-northeast of Chennai, 210 km south of Bapatla and 250 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam at 5.30 pm, the IMD said in its latest bulletin.

“It is likely to intensify gradually and move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to the southern Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla, during the forenoon of December 5 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph,” the IMD said.

Though there will be no major impact on Odisha, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the eastern state will receive light to moderate rainfall on Monday night and the intensity will further increase and heavy rain is expected on Tuesday.

Keeping in view of the prediction of heavy rainfall in the five southern districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam, the state government has deployed five teams of ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) and eight teams of fire service for immediate rescue operations, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu said.

Additional SRC Padamanav Behera said Odisha is likely to receive rainfall in the southern districts. There is a possibility of damage to paddy crops and vegetables in the state. The agriculture department has advised farmers to procure grains in the five districts.

Two Chennai-bound flights from the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar were cancelled as heavy rain battered Tamil Nadu on Monday under the influence of the cyclone. The East Coast Railways has cancelled the movement of 60 trains in view of the cyclone.

The IMD also issued a yellow warning of heavy rain for one or two places in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts on December 6.

The IMD also warned of squally weather conditions, with wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph, gusting to 55 kmph along and off the Odisha coast in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts from the evening of December 4, and it is likely to gradually increase to 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, from the evening of December 5 for the subsequent 12 hours. It would gradually decrease thereafter.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into deep sea along and off the Odisha coast from December 4-6.

Meanwhile, farmers have started harvesting their standing matured crops as advised by the state government, an official said.