State govt evacuating people in southern dists

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government began evacuating people from vulnerable places amid rains in eight southern districts where a “red alert” has been issued as the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal on Monday intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Montha’.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said officials, local people’s representatives, Anganwadi workers, ASHA didis and others are convincing the people living in vulnerable areas to shift to safer places. The evacuation drive was going on with priority on pregnant women, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, much before the intensity of rain and wind increases, the minister said.

Noting that some people are reluctant to shift to relief centres, the minister said police will guard their houses when they take shelter in cyclone centres. He said all arrangements have been made at cyclone shelters, including food, medicine, lighting for people and care is also being taken for domestic animals.

Pujari said so far 128 rescue teams (over 5,000 personnel) of NDRF, ODRAF, Odisha Fire Service and others have already taken position in eight vulnerable districts, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi and Kandhamal. Pujari said though rainfall has started on Monday, the intensity of rain and wind will intensify on October 28 and 29 as forecast by the IMD. He said the reports of pre-cyclone light rains came from the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajapati and Ganjam due to the impact of cyclone ‘Montha’ that has started moving towards the east coast at a speed of 18 kmph. Montha means fragrant flower or beautiful flower in Thai language.

The IMD on Monday said: “The cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ over southwest & adjoining areas of Bay of Bengal moved with a speed of 18 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered at 0830 hours of Monday at about 570 km of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 600 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 750 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha).”

The system is likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28, the IMD said. “Continuing to move further north-northwestwards, it is very likely to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening/night of 28th October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmp,” the statement said.