Odisha: Fishermen stay away from sea as 'Yaas' gathers steam

KENDRAPADA: A number of marine fishermen in the coastal districts of Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur have already anchored their vessels at the fishing harbours and jetties fearing an impending cyclone. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Many of them returned to shore on Friday following the cyclone warning.
“We depend on the sea for our daily earning. The imminent cyclone forced us not to venture into the sea.We are fishermen, we are okay with bad weather, but continuous low pressure is ruining our lives,” said Ajaya Das, a fisherman from Batighar village in Kendrapada district.
Many boats have returned from the sea on Friday. Those that had gone out a few days back are also turning back. “We are warning fishermen through loudspeakers against venturing into the sea. The fisheries department will take action against those who defy the adverse weather warning,” said Basant Dash, the joint director (marine) in the fisheries department.
The IMD has predicted likely formation of a low pressure area over east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining North Andaman sea around May 23 which is likely to intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm and may touch the coastal pockets of Odisha and West Bengal.
The Indian Coast Guard is closely monitoring the weather development and has initiated pre-emptive measures. Coast Guard vessels are informing fishermen operating close to coast and those at sea about the likely cyclonic storm and directing them to return back to harbour. Additionally, the Coast Guard’s radar stations have started transmitting weather warnings at regular intervals both in English and in vernacular language to alert merchant vessels and fishing boats.
Based on IMD prediction, the Odisha government has alerted 12 districts about the possible cyclone. “We are working with local sarpanches and other panchayat body members to help people prepare for the cyclone in the seaside villages of the state. The coastal areas are regularly hit by major cyclones and so everyone is taking this threat seriously and making sure the right measures are in place to mitigate the cyclone’s impact,” said Sambeet Satapathy, emergency officer of Kendrapada district.