Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, reviewing the preparedness of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh ahead of Cyclone Hudhud hitting the country, on Friday stated that according to the Metrological (MeT) department the cyclone would cross the north coast of Andhra Pradesh on October 12 and is expected to make a landfall near Visakhapatnam.
Pradhan met officers of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) regarding the cyclonic threat and said that the next few days were crucial for Odisha. He also assured that the state machinery has been put in place to ensure the safety of people. "Odisha will be affected by a severe cyclonic wave. The next two-three days are important. Andhra Pradesh will be the major epic point. Visakhapatnam will be the epicentre of rainfall point of cyclone," he said.
The Odisha state machinery has been put on high alert up to ensure safety of the residents, especially those who live near the coastline as the cyclone crossed Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Moving in from the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Hudhud is expected to develop into a very severe cyclone, packing wind speeds of up to 140 kph, before hitting the coast of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Officials say adequate measures have been taken to tackle the situation and ensure safety. Meanwhile, talking about the safety measures for civilians, NDRF Commandant MK Yadav said that the special force personnel are being deployed with required equipment in low-lying areas.
"The impact of the landfall after the cyclone will be more than that of cyclone in south Odisha. Accordingly 16 teams of NDRF have been deployed in Odisha," Yadav said. He added that the NDRF team is well prepared with all its men and materials to face and handle the situation successfully.
Officials in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha said they had set up 24-hour emergency control rooms and cancelled the leave of civil servants working in high-risk areas. Nine of Andhra Pradesh's 13 districts and 16 of Odisha's 30 districts are on alert.
Fishermen have been warned to stay away from sea and people living in the coastal region are being moved to safer zones. Strong disaster preparedness, including the evacuation of nearly one million people to cyclone shelters, helped save many lives, aid workers said, comparing Phailin's death toll of 53 with the 1999 Odisha Cyclone, which killed around 10,000 people.
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