Cyclone Yaas: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik asks people in coastal areas to shift to shelter homes, follow COVID protocol

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked people to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and wear two masks, adding "At a time when we are fighting with the COVID-19 pandemic, Cyclone Yaas is another challenge that we have to face."

File pic: Zee News

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged the people living in the coastal regions to cooperate with the local administration and shift to cyclone shelters in view of the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas predicted to make landfall on the Odisha-West Bengal border on the eastern coast of the country.

The Chief Minister asked people on Monday, to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and wear two masks, adding "At a time when we are fighting with the COVID-19 pandemic, Cyclone Yaas is another challenge that we have to face. Last year in May, we had faced cyclone Amphan along with COVID-19 and with help of the people, it was well managed. This time, too, we will all work in tandem to combat the calamity and the pandemic." 

Patnaik said that cyclones are not a new phenomenon for Odisha, adding that there is a need for caution and negligence can be dangerous, reassuring the people that the state government is well prepared to deal with the situation.

Stating that people`s cooperation will strengthen the government`s efforts, he said, "Our priority is to save every life, therefore I request you all to shift to a safe place and cyclone shelters and give full cooperation to the administration. Due to the COVID pandemic we need to be more careful, people need to use two face masks and to follow other COVID appropriate behavior." 

The Odisha government on Monday assigned the high-risk districts to senior officers to supervise relief, rehabilitation, and restoration work in the wake of the severe cyclone landfall. 

Listing the IAS officers, a statement issued by the Additional Secretary, Indramani Tripathy, read, "The following IAS officers are assigned the districts noted against each for supervision of relief, rehabilitation and restoration works arising out of very severe Cyclonic storm `Yaas`. The officers concerned were requested to proceed to the respective districts immediately. 

More than 800 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel are in a high state of readiness for the cyclone Yaas. According to the India Meteorological Department, Cyclone Yaas is expected to hit the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal on May 26. 

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted that the cyclonic storm Yaas is going to intensity into a `very severe cyclonic storm` in the next 12 hours.

In its bulletin, IMD said, "The severe cyclonic storm Yaas over east-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 9 kmph during past six hours and lay centered at 9 UTC of May 24 over the east-central Bay of Bengal," adding "It is very likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours."

"It would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach the northwest Bay of Bengal near North Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 26 early morning," the weather agency added.

Earlier on Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparations with the chief ministers of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh along with the Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Island.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the preparedness of States and Central Ministries and Agencies that will deal with the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm.

(With Agency Inputs)