Storm Brewing In Bay: Odisha Govt To Review Cyclone Preparedness Today

Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy will chair a meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan here at 11.30 am on Friday to review the preparedness for the impending cyclone in Bay of Bengal.

Development Commissioner, ACS to Government, Health and Family Welfare department, and Principal Secretaries of Energy, Fisheries, Housing and Urban Development, Panchayati Raj and Water Resources, Higher Education, School and Mass Education, Rural Development, W & CD and Works departments are expected to attend the meeting via video conferencing.

While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is yet to release the progress and path of cyclone Amphan, experts are predicting that it would make a landfall in Bangladesh.

According to some meteorological models, the cyclonic storm will leave a mark in parts of Odisha on way to Bangladesh. The port city of Paradip may be lashed by wind gusting at 90 kmph on May 20 morning, while the pilgrim town of Puri is likely to experience winds at over 70 kmph at night on May 19. The coastal areas, from Puri to Balasore, will see heavy rains caused by the cyclonic storm. Places adjacent to coastal areas, like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, might receive moderate rainfall and wind speeds in the range of 50 kmph, as per European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) prediction.

Also Read: Cyclonic Storm Over Bay Of Bengal Likely By May 16

Also Read: Cyclonic Storm Brewing In Bay Of Bengal, May Reach Bengal-Odisha Coast By May 20

In an IAS reshuffle on Wednesday, the Odisha government posted Bishnupada Sethi, who was Secretary, Energy, as Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management. He was the Special Relief Commissioner during cyclone Fani. He has been replaced by senior IAS officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal, whose experience will come handy while carrying out any possible power restoration works in the aftermath of a cyclone.

With people keeping to their home and hearth amid the COVID-19 lockdown, any storm can create havoc in the state and cause untold misery.