Bhubaneswar: The state government on Monday asked district collectors to stay on high alert following the confirmation by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that the depression has started moving towards the Odisha coast.
Talking to mediapersons, Deputy Relief Commissioner Pravat Mohapatra said the IMD will confirm the place of the landfall of the approaching cyclonic storm by Tuesday.
“As a precautionary measure, all districts collectors have been asked to stay on high alert and take necessary measures to deal with any eventuality. The collectors have been asked not to grant leave to any government employee. Besides, the leave of the employees working in the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and the Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) have been cancelled,” he added.
Giving the latest information about the movement of the depression, additional director general (ADG) of the IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the depression now moving towards the coast of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh is most likely intensify into a deep depression on Tuesday.
“Going by the satellite imagery, the deep depression is most likely concentrate into a cyclonic storm by the morning on Wednesday and hit the coast on Thursday morning. Under its influence, strong wind will blow across the Odisha coast from the evening on October 10 till the afternoon on October 11 while the wind speed will increase to 80-100 kmph in the south coastal Odisha in the morning on October 11. There will be moderate to heavy rainfall in some parts of south and coastal region from October 9 to 11 while heavy to very heavy rainfall will occur in most places of the state on October 10 and 11. The rainfall will subside on October 12,” Mohapatra said.
