Cyclone Arnab: Andhra braces for landfall, 3 states on alert
Schools were shut, fishing was banned, and thousands of people were moved to safety in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Tuesday, while Jharkhand and West Bengal were put on alert for three days of heavy rain, as very severe cyclonic storm Arnab closed in on the Andhra Pradesh coast, according to PTI.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Arnab was centred over the Bay of Bengal, about 260 km southeast of Visakhapatnam, at 5.30 am, moving at 22 kmph. It is expected to move west-northwestwards until Tuesday evening, then turn northwest and cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, by the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28.
The IMD expects maximum sustained winds of 115 to 125 kmph at landfall, with gusts of up to 140 kmph.
Centre steps up preparednessThe National Crisis Management Committee reviewed preparedness in New Delhi on Tuesday. Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan asked agencies to ensure zero loss of life and minimal damage to property and infrastructure, and to restore essential services at the earliest if damage occurs.
Besides Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry, he said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the IMD should also alert eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where high rainfall is expected.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told the meeting that it has deployed teams, with more on standby. A government statement said rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Indian Coast Guard, along with ships and aircraft, are ready. The Coast Guard has guided several ships and boats to jetties and the shore, and the rest have been told to return.
Andhra PradeshThe Andhra Pradesh government has released Rs 27 crore to 20 districts for relief operations. The State Disaster Management Authority gave Rs 2 crore each to Bapatla, Krishna, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada and Anakapalli.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed preparations and told officials to warn people according to the likely impact and take all steps to limit damage. He asked them to study data from earlier cyclones and issue timely warnings to farmers and the public. He also told them to keep ration shops stocked with essentials and restore power immediately wherever supply is disrupted.
Educational institutions in the affected areas have been closed and beaches shut to the public. Movement on coastal roads is to be suspended from Tuesday afternoon.
Officials told the chief minister that 4,711 pregnant women are being shifted from vulnerable areas to primary health centres, community health centres and hospitals. All fishermen who had gone to sea have returned safely.
Fifteen NDRF teams are stationed across Kakinada, Nadipudi in Amalapuram, Konaseema, Rajahmundry in East Godavari, Eluru, Narsapuram in West Godavari, Machilipatnam in Krishna district and Nakkapalli in Anakapalli district. Two teams are at Yanam, and three each are at the NDRF Battalion Headquarters in Krishna district and the Regional Response Centre in Visakhapatnam.
Officials estimate that the Tandava, Raiwada, Yeleru, Tammileru, Yerrakalava and Tadipudi reservoirs could reach full storage capacity after the rain the cyclone is expected to bring.
OdishaHeavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of Odisha on Tuesday. The IMD has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall of 12 to 20 cm in six districts: Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri.
A yellow warning, indicating 7 to 11 cm of rain, is in force for 16 districts: Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Nuapada, Balangir and Boudh.
The state has shut schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in six southern districts, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur, on Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29. Sea fishing has been banned, tourists barred from hills, waterfalls and dams in these districts, and people are being moved out of vulnerable areas.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has deputed eight ministers to monitor pre-cyclone work at separate locations. He said that although landfall is expected on the Andhra Pradesh coast, Odisha would be heavily affected, with very heavy rain and winds gusting up to 80 kmph.
Teams of the NDRF, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Fire and Emergency Services and the police have been pre-positioned at vulnerable spots.
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said people living in thatched houses and low-lying areas are being shifted to shelters. Pregnant women are being taken to health centres in advance, with special arrangements for senior citizens, children and persons with disabilities. All cyclone shelters, along with some temporary ones, have been readied, leave has been cancelled for government employees in the identified districts, and control rooms are coordinating relief and rescue.
The agriculture department has advised farmers to harvest and safely store crops that are 80 to 85 per cent mature, and helpline numbers have been opened for farmers.
JharkhandRain will reach Jharkhand ahead of the most intense spell. A yellow alert for heavy rain covers Ranchi, Khunti, Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Saraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum for 24 hours from 8.30 am on Wednesday, October 28.
The IMD has then issued an orange alert for seven districts, Garhwa, Palamu, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum, for 24 hours until 8.30 am on Friday, October 30.
A separate heavy rainfall alert covers Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Ranchi, Khunti, Saraikela-Kharsawan and East Singhbhum from 8.30 am on Thursday, October 29, for 24 hours. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds are also forecast across the state for three days from Wednesday.
Abhishek Anand, deputy director of the Ranchi Meteorological Centre, said the storm was likely to keep moving west-northwestwards until Tuesday evening.
The state government has told all district administrations to stay vigilant and be ready for adverse conditions, an official said.
The Ranchi district administration has warned of waterlogging on roads and in low-lying areas, overflowing rivers, lakes and large drains, and flood-like conditions in some pockets. It said kutcha houses, shanties and structurally weak buildings could be damaged, and standing crops could suffer from water accumulation.
Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri has directed all officials concerned to monitor the situation continuously and complete preparations.
West BengalThe IMD has forecast heavy rain in parts of West Bengal from Wednesday, October 28 to Friday, October 30.
In south Bengal, heavy rain is likely on Wednesday and Thursday, October 29, in South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Bardhaman. Kolkata is likely to get light to moderate rain over the next 48 hours.
In the sub-Himalayan region, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri could receive heavy rain on Thursday and Friday. The IMD has also warned of possible landslides in Darjeeling.
Squally winds of 40 to 50 kmph, with gusts of up to 60 kmph, are likely along and off the West Bengal coast and over the north Bay of Bengal. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
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