This story is from May 25, 2021

Cyclone Yaas eyes Balasore for landfall, Odisha gears up for zero-casualty rescue operation

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested people to cooperate with the administration and move to safer locations from vulnerable areas, which may come under the influence of Cyclone Yaas, in order to ensure that there is no loss to life.
Cyclone Yaas eyes Balasore for landfall, Odisha gears up for zero-casualty rescue operation
NDRF teams from Guwahati reach Bhubaneswar airport on Monday
BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday requested people to cooperate with the administration and move to safer locations from vulnerable areas, which may come under the influence of Cyclone Yaas, in order to ensure that there is no loss to life.
The plea followed after IMD predicted that the cyclone may make landfall near Balasore around Wednesday noon as a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the northern Odisha-West Bengal coast between Paradip and Sagar islands.

In the wake of the state facing the twin dangers of Covid-19 and now the cyclone, Naveen said, “The administration has been under pressure owing to Covid-19 for the past two months. I appeal to everyone to cooperate in shifting. Our aim is to ensure everyone is in a safe location.” In the video message, Naveen also urged all to be more careful owing to Covid-19 and asked people to wear double masks while staying in cyclone shelters or anywhere else. He directed the district collectors to distribute enough masks among people through self-help groups.
Special relief commissioner Pradeep Jena said, “Without a clear path and landfall point, we can’t exactly estimate the number of people to be evacuated at this stage. However, a massive evacuation has been ordered and has also begun in some areas. It will continue till Tuesday afternoon.”
Government sources said there are plans to evacuate the highest (1.20 lakh) number of people from Balasore and 93,000 from Bhadrak besides Mayurbhanj, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur districts. The government has identified 6,500 pregnant women, whose expected date of delivery is before June 1. “All such women are being shifted to hospitals on priority for the smooth management of pregnancy-related health issues,” Jena said.

Union home minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparation with Naveen besides the chief ministers of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and the Lt. governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and reportedly assured Rs 600 crore advance relief to Odisha besides an equal amount to Andhra Pradesh. Shah focussed on the timely evacuation of people, enough power back-up arrangements in all hospitals and the safety of oxygen generation plants.
A statement by the CMO said during the discussion with Shah, Naveen informed him about the state’s preparedness. “We are fully prepared and our officers are in touch with the officers of the Union government. We will get back on requirements,” Naveen was quoted as telling the home miser.
Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan, railway minister Piyush Goyal and shipping minister Mansukh Mandaviya also reviewed the state’s preparedness. Under the influence of the storm, rain lashed Kendrapada, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri and Khurda districts on Monday afternoon.
The IMD has also issued a red alert for heavy rain in nine districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal from Tuesday. “Once the cyclone makes landfall, heavy rain of more than 20cm is likely in some parts of the affected districts, while tidal waves as high as 2 to 4 metres are likely to inundate low-lying coastal areas,” H R Biswas, regional director of IMD Bhubaneswar, said.
At 5.30 pm, the cyclone lay centred 450km southwest of Paradip and 550km of Balasore and was moving north-northeastwards with a speed of about 12 kmph in the past six hours. It is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours, the latest IMD bulletin said.
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