Cyclone Phailin to make landfall at 6 pm

SRIKAKULAM/BHUBANESWAR: Cyclone Phailin said to be the strongest cyclonic storm to hit Odisha in 14 years, is set to make a landfall this evening near Gopalpur as authorities in the state and in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh evacuated over four lakh people from vulnerable areas.

Hundreds of personnel of Army, IAF, Navy and NDRF were positioned in areas vulnerable to be hit by 'Phailin' that was positioned just 260km off the coast of Gopalpur in Odisha around noon.

With a wind speed of 210-220 kilometres per hour, the tides could rise up to 3.5 meters and sea water could enter 300-600 meters in land, the IMD said.

"The cyclone, which is moving at a speed of 15kmph is expected to hit the coast near Gopalpur from 6 to 8pm today and is likely to stay for six hours before moving ahead," L S Rathore, Director General of Meteorology told reporters in New Delhi. The wind speed could reach up to 240 Kmph at a later stage, he said.

The department has also predicted extremely heavy rains in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Rains will also lash parts of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, East UP and Bihar.

"Even after its landfall, the cyclone impact is likely to stay for 6-8 hours after which, it will turn into a cyclone and then into deep depression," he said.

Under impact of 'Phailin', the entire coastal region is being lashed by heavy rains today besides squally wind of above 70 kmph. Uprooting of electric poles and tree branches have been reported in various places.

The Odisha government has evacuated 2.5 lakh people from six coastal districts of the state and the operation has been continuing. Of the 2.5 lakh people, one lakh people alone have been taken to safer places in Gopalpur, officials said.

"The system would move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Paradip close to Gopalpur (Odisha) by the evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 210-220 kmph," the latest IMD bulletin said.

The districts likely to experience tidal surge are Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. The administration of Balasore and Bhadrak have also been put on alert, Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha, P K Mohapatra said.

In Andhra Pradesh, as many as 52,000 locals were today evacuated and 25,000 people accommodated in cyclone shelters in Srikakulam.

On Friday, 64,000 people in the north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh were evacuated to safer places.

Vizianagaram Collector Kantilal Dande said 10,000 to 15,000 people living in vulnerable areas are being evacuated and they are monitoring the situation on a minute-to-minute basis.

The East Godavari district administration has started shifting fishermen from Uppada-Kakinada area to safer places in view of the cyclone.

Irrigation officials are monitoring levels in water bodies in the coastal district, where medical teams have been kept ready, they said, adding,"We are expecting the intensity of cyclone to be more in the night."

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea for the next 72 hours. Special control rooms have been set up in Kakinada, Ramachandrapuram and Amalapuram towns to monitor the situation.

Thirteen special officers have been deputed to assess the situation on the Andhra Pradesh coastline and 63 relief camps have been opened in the district.

Naval and Coast Guard services have been kept on standby in case of emergency.

The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has said 'Phailin' is expected to break the Indian Ocean intensity record set by the 1999 Cyclone.

Nearly 10,000 people were killed in the super cyclone of 1999 in Odisha.

Troops of Bison division of Indian Army moved to Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts late last night to assist the respective district administrations in relief and rescue operations.

"Four teams consisting approxmatly 500 army men moved to coastal district with relief material and medical arrangements," a defence release said in Visakhapatnam.

The columns are equipped with mechanical power boats, life jackets and life saving medicine, it added.

2,000 NDRF personnel deployed in AP, Odisha, WB: NDMA

NDMA today said it has deployed nearly 2,000 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

Over four lakh people have been evacuated from danger zones so far in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. "This might be the second biggest evacuation exercise undertaken since 1990 when six lakh people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh," National Disaster Management Authority Vice-Chairman M Shashidhar Reddy told reporters here.

He said over 50 rescue teams with nearly 2,000 personnel have been put in place in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

Rescue and relief teams have been positioned in vulnerable coastal areas of the three states. Some additional teams have also been kept as reserve.

29 teams of NDRF have been deployed along with rescue equipment in Odisha. In Andhra Pradesh, 15 teams have been deployed and four additional teams are also being rushed from Tamil Nadu, while seven teams have been deployed in West Bengal.

The teams have been equipped with satellite phones and wireless sets to maintain smooth communication, in case normal communication lines are affected due to the cyclone.