New Delhi, The severe cyclonic storm Yaas over the Bay of Bengal is likely to cross the North Odisha coast between Dhamra and Baleshwar tomorrow. As per the information provided by the Bhubaneswar- based Meteorological Centre, it is at a distance of about 200 kilometres southeast of Paradeep in Odisha, while moving at a speed of 15 kilometres per hour during the last six hours. Accordingly, the state government has already evacuated lakhs of people to safe shelters in about 10 coastal districts with the majority of the evacuees belonging to the high-impact districts like Bhadrak and Balasore.
The State Government has already deployed more than 400 teams including 52 teams of NDRF for rescue, relief and restoration operations in the cyclone prone areas. Similarly, a large number of technical teams of engineers and skilled manpower belonging to departments like PWD, water supply and electricity have also been kept in readiness for expeditious restoration works, post-cyclone.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the cyclone preparedness in the concerned districts and directed the officials to monitor the activities on a regular basis. AIR Correspondent reports, while Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has again appealed to the people to co-operate with the State Administration in mitigating the impact of the impending cyclone, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today talked to the Governor and President of Odisha branch of the Indian Red Cross Society Professor Ganeshi Lal and assured him of all help to the Red Cross, Odisha for rescue and relief operations in the areas likely to be impacted by the cyclone.
Union Minister Pradhan and Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi are in constant touch with various stakeholders to help the state ease out of the cyclonic impact. On the other hand, while the State Government had already directed the concerned District Collectors to complete the evacuation process by this evening, about 4,500 pregnant women of the vulnerable areas, with the probability of imminent delivery are also safely shifted to the nearby hospitals, as a humanitarian intervention. Meanwhile, many places of the coastal districts of the state have been experiencing wind and rain of varying degrees, as a precursor to the upcoming cyclone.
