Bhubaneswar: Cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ over the west-central Bay of Bengal has moved northwestwards with a speed of about 10 kmph during the past six hours and lay centered over the west-central Bay of Bengal, about 370 km south-south-east of Gopalpur in Odisha and 340 km southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, according to the latest update by the India Meteorological Department (IMD)
“It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. It is likely to move northwestwards and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around the morning of October 11. Thereafter, it is very likely to re-curve northeastwards, move towards Gangetic West Bengal across coastal Odisha and weaken gradually,” it added.
Going by the intensity of the Cyclone Titli, IMD has issued ‘yellow warning’ for Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts till 8.30 pm on Wednesday, ‘orange warning’ for Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Balasore and ‘red warning’ for Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district on Wednesday and for Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Boudh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Balasore districts on Thursday.
From Wednesday, rain and thundershowers are likely at most places over the state. “The latest Doppler weather radar and satellite images indicate light to moderate thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and moderate to intense rainfall and squally wind reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is likely to occur in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Kandhamal and Rayagada districts till 1.30 pm on Wednesday,” said Director in-charge of Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, L D Mohapatra.
On Friday, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts, the release said.
Squally wind speed is likely to increase gradually becoming 100-110 kmph gusting to 125 kmph along and off the south Odisha coast from Wednesday evening and 65-75 kmph gusting up to 85 kmph along and off the north Odisha coast.
During this period, the sea condition would be rough to very rough over west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal.
Besides, the cyclonic storm will surge to a height of about 0.5 metre above the astronomical tide, which is most likely inundate the low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts at the time of the landfall, the release further said.
The cyclonic storm is most likely to affect Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh and Puri districts and damage thatched huts, houses, power and communication lines due to the breaking of branches and uprooting of trees. There will be major damage to kutcha road and minor damage to pucca roads. Besides, it will also damage the paddy crops and other horticulture plants. There is also a possibility of sea water gushing into low-lying areas after erosion of kutcha embankments, it added.
The IMD has advised the state government to suspend fishing operations and evacuate the coastal hutment dwellers to safer places.
The fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast and central and north Bay of Bengal till October 12 and the port authorities directed to hoist local warning signal no-4.
Following the warning, the Odisha government on Tuesday had come up with a detailed blueprint to ensure zero casualties.
Talking to mediapersons after presiding over a preparatory review meeting at the State Secretariat, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said all educational institutions in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts will remain closed on Wednesday. “The state government will take similar decision for other districts on Wednesday evening after assessing the intensity of the cyclonic storm,” he added.
He also informed that six teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 10 of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed in all the vulnerable districts with rescue equipment.
Asked about the evacuation of the people of the low-lying areas of Ganjam and Gajapati districts, Padhi said the decision to this effect will be taken on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, the State Fire Services department has also kept itself prepared for the approaching cyclone.
As informed by the Chief Fire Officer Sukant Sethi, the leave of all Fire services staff has been cancelled. Instructions have been given to all fire stations to keep the necessary equipment ready. About 20 teams in the North Odisha districts have been kept in readiness and they will be deployed in the affected areas if necessary.
In a letter to the collectors of the 13 districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Boudh and Kandhamal, the Health Department has asked them to appoint one nodal officer and keep adequate generators for emergency. Besides, the CDMOs have been asked to keep adequate medicines and evacuate pregnant women and post-natal mothers and keep them either in the gynaecology ward of the hospital or at the Maa Ghar.
