Cyclonic Storm Phethai: People In Gajapati Shifted To Safer Places

Bhubaneswar: Taking note of the movement of the cyclonic storm Phethai towards Kakinada coast of Andhra Pradesh, the Odisha government has started evacuating people from the low-lying areas in Gajapati district.

As informed by the district administration, so far, a total of 11,600 people from low-lying areas of seven blocks in the district have been shifted to 174 cyclone shelters. Efforts are on to evacuate the remaining people, it added.

Briefing the media in Bhubaneswar on Monday, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said as per the IMD prediction, the cyclonic storm will make the landfall at Kakinada in the afternoon. Under its influence, there will heavy rainfall in the six districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi.

Stating that the state government is closely monitoring the situation, he said considering the fact that the cyclonic storm would have the least effect on the coastal Odisha, there was no need to evacuate the people in these districts.

Gajapati being close to Andhra Pradesh, the district administration has taken the pre-emptive measures by evacuating the people from the low lying areas to the cyclone shelters, he added.

As predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it has started raining in most parts of south and western Odisha.

Till 8.30 am on Monday, Bhawanipatna has received the maximum 37 mm rainfall while Balangir and Sambalpur recorded 31 mm and 21 mm rainfall respectively.