Cyclone Hudhud: NDRF teams sent to Andhra, Orissa; teams in Bihar, West Bengal on standby

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General O P Singh on Wednesday said that in anticipation of Cyclone Hudhud, which is currently brewing in Bay of Bengal, teams have been sent to Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, with a battalion each in Bihar and West Bengal on standby.

"Whatever the state government says, and whatever the affected areas will be, we will preposition ourselves. By today in the evening, my team shall reach the Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. Our meeting with the respective state administrations is ongoing. As of now, my commandant is having a meeting with the Director General of Police, Orissa and he will try to tell us which all areas we can preposition our teams," said Singh, addressing the media.

"We have also alerted a battalion each in Bihar and West Bengal, so that in an emergency, depending on the severity of the problem, we will airlift the troops and bring them to the affected areas," he added.

Emphasising on communication being the key to minimize the loss of life in the cyclone, Singh said that the NDRF would assist the state governments in every possible way.

"From tomorrow, we will start a round-the-clock control room. We are emphasising more on establishing communication network. Our first priority will be to evacuate the people from affected areas. It is up to the state administration to decide which cyclonic shelter the affected people are taken to. We are there to assist them," he said.

"We will also provide Orissa and Andhra Pradesh with satellite phones," he added.

India Meteorology Department (IMD) Director General LS Rathore who was also present at the press conference said, "The rain and increase in the speed of the winds will begin on October 11, after that we will be able to understand which areas will be affected the most. Where and when the cyclone will hit we cannot say. The evacuation procedure should be clear in the state government's manifesto.