New Delhi: Cyclone Phailin, a storm as big as the devastating hurricane Katrina that left USA's New Orleans a ghost town, is heading towards Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The storm, which is almost half the size of India, is expected have landfall at around 6 pm on October 12 near Odisha's Gopalpur, which lies between Paradip and Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Cyclone Phailin could hit windspeeds of 220 kilometres per hour, similar to the 1990 supercyclone that left over 10,000 people dead in Odisha and completely devastated several coastal districts. According to the Met department several areas could receive heavy to very heavy rainfall which can be as much as 25 cm per hour.
Over 60,000 people have been evacuated and more are being shifted to safer places as Odisha and Andhra Pradesh brace for the storm which according to the Met department is likely to cause extensive damage. The Navy, Indian Air Force and the National Disaster Response Force are on standby to assist the two state government in relief and rescue operations.
More than 1,600 NDRF personnel have been dispatched to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as part of preparations to handle the possible fallout of the "very severe" cyclone Phailin.
"While 14 teams (559 personnel and 37 boats) are deployed at different locations in preparedness for impending cyclonic storm Phailin in Andhra Pradesh, 23 teams (950 personnel and 80 boats) are deployed at different locations in Odisha," National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Vice-Chairman Shashidhar Reddy said. He added that extra teams of NDRF with manpower and equipment have been deployed.
"We are ready to provide whatever help the state government asks for. We have also appealed to people to be ready for evacuation in short notice," he said.
Five districts directly in the path of the storm with IMD chief Dr LS Rathore identifying Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts in Odisha and Srikakalum in AP as those likely to be the worst hit. He warned that the cyclone will be accompanied by a storm surge of up to three metres in the districts that will bear the brunt.
Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami held a special meeting of the national executive committee to review cyclone preparedness.
Sources said the secretaries of Defence, Telecom, Power, Water, Railways, Food among others were part of the committee besides resident commissioners of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
Later Goswami briefed Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth about the possible situation arising out of the impending cyclone in the two states.
The state governments have been instructed to remove people from sensitive areas and have claimed that maximum evacuation has been done.
"We are better prepared than in Uttarakhand disaster. Windspeed as per latest bulletin is going to be more than initial prediction," Reddy said.
He said 20,000 people in Srikakulam and 40,000 in Vishakapattnam have been evacuated.
Operations at Paradip port have been suspended and thousands of industrial workers from the town started leaving the town.
The port town of Paradip in Jagatsinghpur was the epicentre of 1999 supercyclone with Ersama block bearing the maximum brunt of the natural disaster.
Squalls with a wind speed of 45-55 kmph to 65 kmph have already started along Odisha coast since morning under the impact of Phailin. Wind is expected to reach uotp 100 kmph later in the night and will touch 150 kmph by Saturday afternoon.
Medical teams of Union Health Ministry are also getting ready to travel to the two states at a short notice.
The Odisha health department cancelled holidays and leave of all doctors in view of the impending situation even as the state government set a target of "zero casualty" and ordered speedy evacuation of people in seven coastal districts.
East Coast Railway planned to regulate and cancel about 24 passenger trains between Visakhapatnam and Bhadrak on the Howrah-Chennai Main Line route tomorrow.
mergency food supplies and shelters for people expected to flee the heavy winds and rains were also being readied in the vulnerable districts. Disaster management teams were also kept in readiness.
The IAF has deployed 24 aircraft including its transport planes such as Ilyushin-76, C-130J Super Hercules and the Antonv-32 along with 18 helicopters.
"The Defence Minister has directed the armed forces to be on high alert and asked them to be ready to move in for relief operations when required," a Defence Ministry official said in Delhi.
The Vishakhapatnam-based Eastern Naval Command has kept multiple Indian Navy diving teams with inflatable rafts in standby mode at important locations which could be put into operations at short notices.
"Besides these, Navy has put some Chetak and UH-3H helicopters in standby for launching rescue and relief operations, if necessary. Disaster relief ships, as required, are also being kept by the Navy in readiness," the official said.
Army has moved its Command and control element to Bhubaneswar under GOC Madhya Bharat (MB) Area. One Engineer column from Bagdogra and one Medical column from Gopalpur have started moving to Bhubneshwar. Infantry columns are also on standby at Barrackpore.
The other regions which are expected to be affected by the cyclone include North Chhattisgarh, South Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and gangetic West Bengal.
"Around 1.2 crore people are expected to be affected by the cyclone," he said.
Reddy said authorities have to gear up to a situation where a lot of damage can be expected and crops, roads, houses are likely to be affected.
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Following are the helpline numbers:
Odisha: 0674-2534177
District control room number:
Mayurbhanj 06792-252759,
Jajpur 06728-222648,
Gajapati 06815-222943,
Dhenkanal 06762-221376
Khurda 06755-220002,
Keonjhar 06766-255437,
Cuttak 0671-2507842,
Ganjam 06811-263978,
Puri 06752-223237,
Kendrapara 06727-232803,
Jagatsinghpur 06724-220368,
Balasore 06782-262674,
Bhadrak 06784-251881.
Andhra Pradesh: 040-23456005/23451043 Fax-040-23451819
(With additional information from PTI)####
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