The Centre on Wednesday deployed 21 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal and put Army, Navy and Coast Guard on standby in view of impending cyclonic storm Titli that is likely to cross coastal areas of the three states on October 11. NDRF teams have been deployed in in the three states along with necessary rescue equipment.
The information was shared in a National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting chaired by Union Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha in New Delhi on Wednesday. Some additional NDRF teams have also been put on standby in areas likely to be affected. The cyclone is expected to make a landfall on October 11 along the coast between Orissa and north Andhra Pradesh between 6 am and 9 am.
"In addition, the three states have also deployed their own rescue teams along with power boats while Army, Navy and Coast Guard have also been put on standby so that they can be deployed at a short notice," the Secretary said.
The meeting was attended by the senior officer from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence, National Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Response Force, India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal participated in the meeting through video-conference represented by the respective Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries.
The states informed the officers about measures taken for evacuation of people, warnings to the fishermen not to venture out into the sea and stocking adequate food, essential items and fuel supplies, as also preventive measures such as closure of schools and colleges.
District and local officials have been alerted, the states informed the NCMC. IMD classified Titli as a very "severe cyclonic storm" with very high wind speeds and forecast to hit the coast between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam in Orissa.
"The wind speed at the time of landfall is predicted in the range of 145-165 km per hour. After the landfall, the cyclonic storm is expected to re-curve north-eastwards and move long Odisha coast towards Gangetic West Bengal and will cause heavy to very heavy rainfall," the IMD informed the NCMC.