Cyclone ‘Fani’: Odisha govt cancels leaves of officials

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today cancelled leave of all government officials in four districts in the wake of the possible cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ that is expected to head towards Odisha coast on/after May 1.

Collectors of Puri, Ganjam, Kendrapara and Khurda have instructed all the government staff to remain alert after the Met Department said cyclone Fani was moving towards the state’s coast by this weekend.

Earlier in the day, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi chaired a high-level meeting and directed officials to remain prepared with essential medicines, food and drinking water to meet the emergency situations.

“Twenty teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, 12 units of National Disaster Response Force and 335 units of state fire services have been kept in readiness,” Padhi said.

Besides, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi had earlier directed all collectors of coastal districts to remain alert and take necessary actions to re-vitalise the cyclone infra in the State.

Fishermen along the Odisha coast have been advised not to venture into the sea from May 2 onwards.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclonic storm Fani over southeast Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during next six hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours as it moves towards India’s eastern coast.