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    Cyclone Fani Updates: 8 lakh people evacuated; Kolkata airport to suspend operations

    Synopsis

    Impact of 'Fani' is likely to be much more severe than 'Titli' that had killed at least 60 people.

    Cyclone Fani: Odisha to evacuate 8 lakh people; 'Orange' alert for West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh
    Cyclone 'Fani', expected to hit the coasts of Odisha tomorrow, has intensified into an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' with wind speed likely to hit 200 kmph at the time of landfall. No flight will depart or arrive at Kolkata airport between 9.30 pm of May 3 and 6 pm on May 4 due to cyclone Fani, DGCA has said.

    The Central and the state government have put the disaster relief machinery including the NDRF, SDRF and Armed forces on high alert. About 800,000 people have evacuated from low-lying areas of 14 districts in Odisha. The cyclone is currently around 400 km off the Odisha coast.

    As many as 223 trains along the Odisha coastline in the Kolkata-Chennai route have been cancelled in view of cyclone Fani which is likely to hit the eastern state by May 3, Railways said.

    Railways has also pressed into service three special trains to ferry passengers. The 'extremely severe' cyclonic storm is likely to affect Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

    The impact of Cyclone 'Fani' is likely to be much more severe than 'Titli', which had hit the Odisha-Andhra coast last year and killed at least 60 people.

    Precautions taken by Odisha poll body against cyclonic storm Fani
    In view of the extremely severe cyclonic storm “FANI” which is likely to make its landfall on the Odisha coast, Election Commission of India had been requested to accord approval for shifting/ retrofitting/ water – proofing etc for the safe storage of polled EVMs in the strong rooms.

    As per Commission’s approval, the EVMs of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha of 136- Mohana AC and 137- Parlakhemundi AC have been shifted from M.R. Boys High School to the new EVM Godown at Collectorate, Gajapati at Parlakhemundi. Similarly, the EVMs of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha of 104-Jagatsinghpur AC have been shifted from the ground floor to the first floor (Arts Wing) of SVM College, Jagatsinghpur.

    Minor repairs, retrofitting, water proofing measures etc have been taken up in Cuttack, Khurda, Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Boudh and Rayagada districts.

    The shifting/ retrofitting/ water proofing works in the EVM strong rooms of all 30 districts has been done with advance intimation to the contesting candidates and in the presence of the candidates or their agents. This has also been videographed for reference and record.

    All the District Election Officers and Collectors have given certificates that all preventive and precautionary steps and interventions have been done in presence of contesting candidates/ agents to ensure that the strong rooms are safe from any adverse impact of the severe cyclonic storm FANI.

    The steps taken for safe storage of EVMs has been reported to the Election Commission of Ind
    ia.

    Here are all the live updates about Cyclone Fani:
    * The Indian Navy has deployed three naval ships so that it can launch rescue operation after the cyclone hits the coastline of Odisha.

    *Odisha’s emergency helpline number for Cyclone Fani +916742534177, Control room number of different districts have been issued

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    * Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said all authorities concerned have been alerted so that they are ready to deal with cyclone 'Fani' and all airlines have been requested to offer assistance in rescue and relief operations.

    * Over 4,000 specialised personnel as part of 81 NDRF teams have been deployed to deal with the 'extremely severe' cyclone 'Fani'

    * NASA satellites Aqua and Terra are tracking Cyclone Fani as it continued to move northwards along the eastern coast of India. Satellites are providing infrared, microwave and visible imagery.

    * PM Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness for Cyclone Fani. Meeting attended by the Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary to the PM, the Additional Principal Secretary to the PM, the Home Secretary, and senior officials from the IMD, NDRF, NDMA and PMO.

    *"Alerted all concerned to be ready to deal with Cyclone Fani. Airport Authority of India issued alert to all coastal airports to ensure all precautions, SOPs (standard operating procedures) put in place immediately," Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted.

    * South Eastern Railway has cancelled 43 trains scheduled to run between Howrah and Puri, and other destinations in south India over the next two days.

    * Two more special trains will start from Puri at 3 pm & 6 pm today for Howrah. Stoppages- Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendujhar road, Bhadrak, Balasore & Kharagpur. #CycloneFani

    * India will use boats, buses and trains to evacuate 800,000 people along its east coast

    * Cyclone likely to cross the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, to the south of Puri around May 3 afternoon with maximum wind speed of 205 kmph.
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    * The wind speed of a cyclonic storm is up to 100 kmph. In case of an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm', the wind speed goes up to 170-180 kmph and could gain the speed of 195-200 kmph.

    * Currently, Fani lay centred over West Central Bay of Bengal about 430 km south-southwest of Puri in Odisha, 225 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 650 km south-southwest of Digha in West Bengal.

    Fani1Others

    * IMD bulletin said storm surge of about 1.5 metre above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha at the time of possible landfall.

    * Several areas are likely to receive rainfall up to 20 cm under the impact of the cyclone.

    * As sea condition will be rough and phenomenal over Northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha and West Bengal till May 4, fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea in this period.

    * The Indian Navy has stationed two ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai carrying expert divers and doctors.

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    * Indian Air Force has also been alerted.

    * All the 880 cyclone centres have been readied for the purpose. Boats have also been kept in a state of readiness.

    * NDRF has deployed 41 teams in Andhra Pradesh (eight teams), Odisha (28) and West Bengal (five teams). In addition, the NDRF is keeping on standby 13 teams in West Bengal and 10 in Andhra Pradesh.

    * Higher education department has directed all state universities and colleges in Odisha to remain closed for three days from May 2.


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    ( Originally published on May 02, 2019 )
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