Rs 1,086 crore advance assistance for 4 states

New Delhi: The Centre Tuesday ordered the release of Rs 1,086 crore to four states as advance financial assistance for undertaking preventive and relief measures to deal with cyclone 'Fani', which is approaching the Indian coast.

Following a decision of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered for the advance release of financial assistance of Rs 1,086 crore to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of four states, an official statement said.

Of the sanctioned amount, Odisha will receive Rs 340.87 crore, Tamil Nadu Rs 309.37 crore, West Bengal Rs 235.50 crore and Andhra Pradesh will get Rs 200.25 crore.

The move has been made to assist the states for undertaking preventive and relief measures in response to cyclonic storm 'Fani'.

The NCMC is the country's top body to deal with emergencies.

Cyclone 'Fani' is likely to intensify into an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' by Tuesday night and can hit the Odisha coast by Friday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said.

In its 12 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said 'Fani' (pronounced Foni) lays over southeast and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal, about 830 km nearly south of Puri (Odisha) and 670 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and about 680 km northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka). See P6