Bhubaneswar: The state government has issued an advisory to the district collectors as Odisha braces up to face a possible cyclonic storm, to be titled as ‘Dana’, on October 24.

Additional Chief Secretary and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Deoranjan Kumar Singh has issued the advisory to the district collectors.

The SRC also asked the Principal Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development (H&UD), Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Water Resources, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Fisheries and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development departments, Municipal Administration Director, All RDCs, Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order), Inspector General of Police (Fire Services), NDRF Third Battalion Commandant and OSDMA Executive Director to maintain high alert.

Advisory to Collectors:

----Districts under Red, Orange and Yellow warning to remain in readiness to meet any eventuality, particularly water logging and landslide in hilly areas.

----Continuous vigil of low-lying areas, dewatering wherever required including urban areas.

----Avoid movement in affected areas, stay in safe place.

----Waterlogging in underpass road and occasional reduction of visibility causing traffic congestion in urban areas.

----Postponed fertilizer/chemicals application in agricultural field, keep livestock in safe place.

----Advice for fishermen to be strictly implemented.

----Situation may be closely monitored.

“Several districts in Odisha are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall for three days starting October 23. We have asked the district Collectors to identify people residing in vulnerable places and take the necessary steps to shift them to safer places. The Collectors have been told to take stock of the basic facilities, including water supply, at all cyclone shelters under their respective jurisdictions. Immediate steps should be taken to shift the pregnant women from the vulnerable areas to the nearest hospitals,” said the SRC.

According to the IMD, a cyclonic circulation formed over central Andaman sea on October 19 (Saturday) lays over North Andaman sea in the early morning of October 20 (today).

Under its influence, a low pressure area is very likely to form over the East-Central Bay of Bengal and adjoining the North Andaman Sea during the next 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression by the morning of October 22 and into a cyclonic storm over the East-Central Bay of Bengal by October 23.

Thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards and reach the North-West Bay of Bengal off Odisha-West Bengal coasts by the morning of October 24, said the IMD.

Extremely heavy rainfall warning:

Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, heavy to heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (above 20 cm) and thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur at some places in Puri, Khurda, Ganjam and Jagatsinghpur districts on October 24.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall warning:

Similarly, heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) and thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur at some places in Kendrapara, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Kandhamal and Gajapati districts on the day (Thursday). The IMD has issued an Orange warning in this regard.

As per the IMD prediction, heavy rainfall (7 to 11 cm) and thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur at isolated places in Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Boudh, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts on October 24. The MeT department has issued a Yellow warning in this regard.

Wind speed warning:

According to the IMD, gale wind speed reaching 90 kmph to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph is likely to prevail over North-West adjoining West-Central Bay of Bengal along and off Odisha Coast on October 24 (Thursday).