Cyclone 'Phailin' approaches Odisha, Andhra; authorities better prepared

The Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Governments have taken all preventive measures to counter the expected cyclone, a warning for which has already been

issued by the meteorological department in both states.

Cyclonic storm 'Phailin', which is classified as very severe by the weather department, is expected to hit coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh at around 5:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Odisha Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management, Surya Narayan Patro, said that state government had directed the officials of the 14 cyclone prone districts to carefully monitor the situation and be ready to tackle any emergent situation.

He said emergency control rooms had been set up.

Patro further said that the evacuation of villagers could be considered in the regions according to the criticality of situation in future.

"Fishermen will not go inside (venture out in) the sea; all those who have gone inside (sailed out) have been asked to come back. Team has been asked to take their position, in anticipated affected districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Cuttack, Khurda. NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) team has also has been asked to take up their position," he told media in Bhubaneswar yesterday.

Director of Regional Meteorological Observatory, Sarat Sahoo, said that all the precautions had been taken and the concerned authorities are being periodically informed about the situation.

"So far, the models are indicating that it will maintain the track. So, what it is showing now, it will maintain the track. When it will come near to the coast, the possibility is that either it may change the track also and intensity also, but we are taking the observation and we are watching it. So, I told you that we will collect all observation from metrological observatories along the coast," said Sarat Sahoo of IMD (Indian Meteorological Department), Bhubaneswar.

Sudhir, a villager, on his part expressed fear that the situation might be the same as it was over a decade ago.

"There was a cyclone 13 years ago, and we have got information that a cyclone could come in next a few days. We have not gone for fishing from last two days and we are not getting food to eat. Government is not doing anything. We live in huts, we don't have homes and we are afraid that it might be the same situation as it was 13 years ago," he said.

Heavy rainfall is expected for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday, with lots of rain forecast for Bengal the next day. People along the coasts have been asked to move to higher grounds.