After Tauktae, India braces for Cyclone Yaas on eastern coast
Kolkata/Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: India was airlifting rescue and relief teams and keeping defence aircraft and naval vessels in readiness as it braced for cyclone Yaas' which is expected to hit eastern coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday, barely a week after cyclone 'Tauktae' battered the western coast leaving behind a trail of destruction.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that the cyclone is likely to make landfall on May 26 evening between Paradip in Odisha and Sagar islands in West Bengal after intensifying into a very severe cyclonic storm' with wind speed ranging from 155kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph. It will start bringing heavy rain in coastal areas from Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting to review the preparedness of the state and central agencies to deal with the situation and called for a timely evacuation of those involved in offshore activities.
The armed forces too are alert with the Navy putting on standby four warships and a number of aircraft.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept 11 transport aircraft and 25 helicopters ready to carry out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations as part of preparations to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone Yaas, officials said.
The IAF airlifted 21 tonnes of relief materials and 334 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to Kolkata and Port Blair from three different places on Sunday as the government initiated a series of measures to tackle the cyclone that is brewing in the Bay of Bengal, they said.
The Indian Navy had said eight flood relief teams and four diving teams are positioned at Odisha and West Bengal to augment the existing resources. Four naval ships have been put on standby with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief materials and medical teams.
"Naval aircraft are kept ready at naval air stations INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required," the Navy said in a statement on Saturday.
The West Bengal government earlier said it has taken all precautionary measures and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will stay at a control room set up for the purpose to monitor the situation.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on Saturday reviewed the state's preparedness and asked officials to evacuate people from low-lying areas.
The state government has placed 14 districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur on alert.
The IMD said that a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal has turned into a depression that will further intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday
"It (the depression) is very likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by 24th May morning and further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours.
"It would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near West Bengal and north Odisha coasts by 26th May morning," the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said.
"It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal between the Paradip and Sagar islands by the evening of 26th May as a very severe cyclonic storm," it added.
