Cyclone Fani: Narendra Modi announces Rs1,000 crore relief package

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Cyclone Fani: Narendra Modi announces Rs1,000 crore relief package

New Delhi - Cyclone Fani is expected to weaken in the next three hours.

By Agencies

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Published: Fri 3 May 2019, 4:28 PM

Last updated: Fri 3 May 2019, 7:45 PM

The impact of the category 4 severe cyclonic storm Fani's landfall has started on the Odisha coast with wind velocity of 150 to 175 kmph and at a few places even higher, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday morning.
"The process of cyclone Fani's landfall in Puri will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.," said Bhubaneswar Met Centre Director H.R. Biswas. It's eye diameter is 28 km now. Half of Fani's eye is in the sea right now, said IMD.
The landfall process is very likely to continue till noon on Friday. The already rough sea in Puri is turbulant. Evacuation has been carried out till 5 km of the beach area.
Even the calm sea in Chandipur is violent, officials said. It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during May 3 forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.
Nearly 11 lakh people have been evacuated from the vulnerable areas to safer places in last 24 hours in Odisha. Ganjam and Puri districts have evacuated more than 3 lakh and 1.3 lakh people, respectively.
Although the evacuation were extremely difficult given that people were not ready to laeve their house and belongings. Relief workers had a tough time, speaking to news channels several complained.
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The Central government on Friday revised the closure time for the Kolkata airport due to extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani, which made landfall earlier in the day in neighbouring Odisha. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the revised closure timings for the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport will now begin at 3.00 p.m. till 8.00 a.m. on Saturday.
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Narendra Modi announces Rs 1,000 crore relief package: While addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Hidaun, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 1,000 crore relief package for Cyclone Fani.  "We have gathered here today. At the same time people living in coastal areas in eastern and southern India are facing an extremely severe cyclone. The Centre is in continuous contact with governments in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. I took the latest update from officers. I held a review meeting yesterday," said the prime minister, adding that the nation was "with the people".
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Two people died on Friday as Cyclone Fani slammed into eastern India with winds gusting at speeds of up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour, an official said.
"I can confirm two deaths for now. One old man in one of the shelters died because of (a) heart attack. Another person went out in the storm despite our warnings and died because a tree fell on him," Odisha state special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi told AFP.   
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Extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall on the eastern coast wreaking havoc in Odisha on Friday. Despite extensive damage cuased by near 200 kmph winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall, no loss of life has been reported so far. Damaging houses, thousands of trees and electricity poles, uprooting trees, the eye of Fani almost 25 km in diametre is sending off wind velocity of 150 to 175 kmph and even above at some places touching 180 or more, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
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The landfall process of the extremely severe cyclone Fani began on Friday morning with strong winds and rain hitting Puri district in Odisha. Strong winds have also hit Bhubaneswar. 
 
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"ESCS FANI about 25 km SSW of Puri at 0830 IST. To cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur & Chandbali close to Puri during 0800-1100 IST. Landfall started at 0800 hrs IST. Part of eye lies over land at 0830. Entire process of eye entering into land will be completed in next 2 hrs," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted. In a subsequent tweet it said, "Current wind speed of the cyclone is 175-185 kmph gusting to 195 kmph. Puri reported maximum sustained wind speed of 142 kmph gusting to 174 kmph at 7.30 hours today."  
HR Biswas, Director, Met office, Bhubaneswar earlier said that Fani will make a landfall between 8-11 am in Puri district. 

In the wake of the cyclonic storm, the Odisha administration has evacuated over 11 lakh people from the vulnerable districts since Thursday. More than 3 lakh people have been evacuated from Ganjam district alone, followed by 1.3 lakh from Puri district where landfall is expected. About 5000 kitchens
are operating to serve people in shelters. 

The IMD has warned of a storm surge of about 1.5 metres which may inundate low-lying coastal areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur districts at the time of landfall. The government said that 10,000 villages and 52 towns located in nine districts in Odisha will be affected. 

The cyclonic storm is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. 


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