Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness for cyclone Fani, which is expected to hit Odisha and some other eastern coastal states on Friday, and instructed senior officers of the union government to ensure preventive measures and effective relief and rescue operations.
At the meeting, he directed the senior officers of the central government to maintain close coordination with officers of the affected states, a PMO statement said.
The Prime Minister was briefed on the likely path of the cyclone, and the ongoing precautionary and preparatory measures being undertaken, the statement said.
These include provision of adequate resources, deployment of teams from NDRF and the Armed Forces, arrangements to provide drinking water and standby systems to restore power and telecom services.
“After reviewing the emerging situation, the Prime Minister instructed senior officers of the Union Government to maintain close coordination with officers of the affected States, to ensure preventive measures, and also to take effective steps for relief and rescue operations, as required,” it added.
The meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary to the PM, the Additional Principal Secretary to the PM, the Home Secretary, and other senior officials from the IMD, NDRF, NDMA and PMO.
A massive evacuation process is underway in the state ahead of the landfall of cyclonic storm. About eight lakh people would be evacuated from low-lying coastal areas to safer places in the state.
Speeding over West-central Bay of Bengal, Fani moved north-northeastwards at about 16 kmph in last six hours and lay centred about 360 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha), 190 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 550 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal).
It will very likely to move further north-northeastwards and cross the Odisha Coast around Puri, between Gopalpur and Chandbali, by May 3 afternoon with a maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph, the IMD said
A massive evacuation process was underway ahead of the landfall of cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ in Odisha coast, even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday appealed people not to panic over the cyclone.
Holding a review meeting here, Patnaik said the government is ready to tackle the situation as every life is precious.
He instructed the District Collectors of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Ganjam, Gajapati and Cuttack to expedite evacuation in low-lying areas.
The Chief Minister also held a meeting with top executives of various telecom operators in the state and asked them for early restoration of telecommunication after the cyclone makes landfall.
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