Petroleum minister assures all help to Odisha

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Friday said the central government will provide all possible assistance to Odisha to meet the impeding cyclonic storm 'Hudhud'.

Reviewing the cyclone situation with officials of the National Disaster Response Force and the India Meteorological Department here, Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, said that the central government is ready to provide all kinds of assistance to the state to face the cyclonic storm.

He also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and apprised them about the situation in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Pradhan said Jaitley has assured the state help of helicopters, if needed, to carry out rescue operations and disbursement of relief materials in the cyclone-affected districts.

A total of 16 NDRF teams, including four from Kolkata, have been deployed in Odisha and they will work with Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to carry out rescue operation in the affected areas.

Pradhan also assured the state that there will be no problem of petroleum products in the cyclone affected states during the period.

Rajnath Singh talked to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers Friday morning to inquire about preparedness measures for 'Hudhud' and assured the governments all help to meet the challenge.

Meanwhile, the Paradip and Gopalpur ports in Odisha have been advised by the IMD to hoist local cautionary signal number 3 (LC-III) as the cyclonic storm is getting closer to the Odisha-Andhra coast.

It was located at a distance of 570 km from the Gopalpur port at 8.30 a.m. Friday.