35 NDRF teams assigned for Odisha, West Bengal to combat Cyclone Bulbul

After the prediction of Cyclone Bulbul to intensify in the areas of Odisha and West Bengal, 35 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been assigned to these states to combat the cyclone.

"We are fully equipped to combat the cyclone. 35 teams have been assigned with 17 in Odisha and 17 in West Bengal. Four teams in Bengal have been deployed and rest have been kept on hold. Odisha is also deploying a few of the assigned teams," SN Pradhan, Director General, NDRF told ANI.

"If you prepare well in peacetime, you will perform well in wartime. Any natural calamity is like war for us and if we cannot win then we should fight well," he added.

The Indian Meteorological Department on Thursday has predicted that north coastal districts of Odisha will receive light to moderate with heavy to very heavy falls over Puri, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur districts. It further said that in the remaining districts will receive heavy rainfall on November 8.

The districts put on alert include Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Puri, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Boudh and Nuapada.

The weather forecasting agency also predicted heavy rainfall during the next 48 hours in parts of West Bengal following Cyclone Bulbul.

"Light to moderate rainfall at most places very likely over coastal districts of West Bengal with extremely heavy falls (>= 20 cm) at isolated places North and South 24 Parganas and isolated heavy to very heavy falls over East and West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly on November 9. Light to moderate rainfall at most places very likely over coastal districts of West Bengal with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over North and South 24 Parganas, isolated heavy falls over Howrah, Hooghly and Nadiya districts on November 10," it added in its bulletin.

The cyclone is very likely to skirt Saurashtra coast and lie centered about 40 kilometers south of Diu on the noon of November 7 as a 'Deep Depression.'

"Continuing to move east-north-eastwards, it is very likely to weaken further into a depression by November 8 evening," the IMD stated in its All India Weather Warning Bulletin.

Apart from that, heavy rainfall or snow at isolated places is very likely over Jammu and Kashmir. A few places over Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are also likely to witness heavy downpour today.