Bhubaneswar: Following the formation of a depression over Bay of Bengal, the Odisha government on Thursday issued an advisory for the farmers to protect their crops from rain.
In an afternoon release, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), quoting a release of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said that the well-marked low pressure area formed over the south-east Bay of Bengal and adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean yesterday has concentrated into a depression this morning and lay centred about 830 km east-south-east of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 1150 km south-east of Chennai and 1330 km south-south-east of Machhilipatnam. It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression in the next 12 hours and subsequently into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and very likely to move in the north-west direction towards Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts during the next 72 hours.
Under its influence, most parts of South Odisha will receive moderate rainfall. Besides, strong wind will blow across the south coastal areas during the period. Apart from South Odisha, there will be light to moderate rainfall in several places in the state on December 16 and 17, the release added.
In view of the rainfall alert, the SRC has issued an advisory for the farmers to protect their standing crops. According to the advisory, farmers have been advised to reap the paddy in their field and bring it to a safe place. Besides, they have been asked to collect the paddy stacks kept in the field for drying to a safe place and harvest the dry paddy immediately and cover the paddy stacks kept in the backyard of their house with tarpaulin.
This apart, the SRC has asked the district administration to take necessary measures to protect the paddy kept at the mandis from rain.
