Bhubaneswar: While Cyclone Yaas raged and strong winds and rain pounded Odisha on Wednesday, the tenderest moments were experienced indoors when 350 children were born in the affected districts. Two among them have been named after the very severe cyclonic storm.
The state government had identified and shifted 6.500 pregnant women with an expected date of delivery before June 1 to hospitals and other health facilities in the likely-to-be-affected Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj. Keonjhar and Dhenkanal.
The landfall, which began at 9 am, took about 3 to 4 hours to complete. The very severe cyclonic storm crossed the North Odisha coast south of Balasore between 10.30 and 11.30 am, leaving a trail of destruction.
The worst-hit Balasore district saw the highest of 165 babies entering the world amid the cyclone fury. Chief district medical of (CDMO) Dulalsen Jagatdeo told TNIE that 79 male and 86 female children were born during this period.
Bhadrak saw 60 deliveries (37 male and 22 female). The highest of 23 deliveries were in the Basudevpur block which is close to the Dhamra Port, which was battered by strong winds and heavy rain as the very severe cyclonic storm reached there early in the morning, said ADMO Shibasish Moharana.
Similarly, Mayurbhanj also saw 66 newborns while 40 women delivered babies in Kendrapara and 13 in Jagatsingpur. Keonjhar and Dhenkanal saw three deliveries each.
According to sources, Sonali Maiti and Badal Maiti of Parakhi area under Sadar block of Balasore district have named their baby boy, who was born last evening, as ‘Yaas’.
Saraswati Bairagi of Harinapokhari village under Rajnagar block of Kendrapada district, who delivered a baby girl, also named her bundle of joy after the cyclone.
Yaas got its name from Oman. The word has its origin in the Persian language and means the flower jasmine in English.
