Cyclonic storms might visit western region of UP

AGRA: On Friday the Agra administration had issued an advisory which cautioned people regarding the possibility of a cyclonic storm occurring in the western region of Uttar Pradesh.

These storms are the direct result of Cyclone Fani which is slowly approaching the southern parts of India.

A warning has been issued by the India Meteorological Department yesterday about the thunderstorms and lightning which will be accompanied by hail and gusty wind (40-50 km per hour) in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The Additional District Magistrate of Agra KP Singh had said that according to Meteorological Department, many districts of Uttar Pradesh are likely to encounter the severe storms and rain. These storms might be hitting several districts in the Braj region including Agra. We have also conveyed to the inspector of the region that Taj Mahal and other historic buildings must be protected along with the entirety of their respective tourists, he said.

Social Activist Yogesh Malhotra said that, "We must not panic. We should be ready to face this natural calamity so that any kind of harm can be avoided."

Yogesh had also appealed to the district administration to set up a control room in the Collectorate, Agra and asked the authorities to provide a phone number which can be accessed at the time of the disaster.

The central and state governments have considered various agencies into action including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard, Indian Navy, State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), Disaster Management Force, Odisha Fire Services and even local agencies.

Cyclone Fani is likely to hit Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.