NDRF prepares for Cyclone Yaas, positions teams in Odisha, Bengal

New Delhi: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has begun positioning its teams in West Bengal and Odisha as Cyclone Yaas is likely to hit these States on the eastern coast of the country around May 26-27, officials said on Friday.

Some of the teams dispatched to undertake evacuation, rescue and restoration work in States affected by Cyclone Tauktae on the western coast are being called back, they said.

NDRF Director General S N Pradhan tweeted that the force has decided to "airlift" West Bengal and Odisha-based teams of the force in view of Cyclone Yaas and its "possible impact" in the coastal districts of the two States.

The exact number of NDRF teams to be earmarked for the latest cyclone will be decided as per inputs received from the India Meteorological Department. The situation is developing, the officials said.

The central force had earmarked a total of 101 teams for the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae that developed in the Arabian Sea and mainly affected the coastal areas of Gujarat and states like Maharashtra and Goa, apart from a few others on the western coastline of the country.