New Delhi: West Bengal and Odisha have evacuated lakhs of people from vulnerable areas to safety as severe cyclonic storm 'Yaas' is nearing the coast and is expected to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Bhadrak district on Wednesday (May 26) morning. Neighbouring Jharkhand has also sounded an alert and is preparing for the cyclone's impact. Andhra Pradesh Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also reviewed the preparations for Cyclone Yaas, including the need to make necessary arrangements for the safety of power plants and to ensure uninterrupted power supply to hospitals and health facilities treating COVID-19 patients.


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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that her administration has evacuated over nine lakh people to safe shelters. The Odisha government, on the other hand, said it has moved over 2 lakh people from vulnerable areas in coastal districts to safety.


 



'Yaas' to intensify into very severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday evening


 



IMD Director-General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that 'Yaas' is likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) by Tuesday evening. He said the cyclone's impact will be severe for six hours before and after the landfall and Chandbali will witness the maximum damage. Dr Umashankar Das, a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said that the landfall will most likely be between Dhamra and Chandbali in Odisha's Bhadrak district.


 



Cyclone Yaas: Bengal CM Mamata to stay at Nabanna to monitor situation


 



Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said over 74,000 officers and workers and over 2 lakh policemen and civic volunteers have been deployed to mitigate the natural calamity in West Bengal. She said that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have been deployed and Army's help will be sought if required. The chief minister said that senior IAS officers have been assigned to monitor the situation in different districts.


"The chief and home secretaries are in touch with the district magistrates. I have spoken with the DMs of South and North 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Purba Medinipur districts. I will be at Nabanna to monitor the situation throughout the night," she said.


Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha, P K Jena, said that over 2.10 lakh people residing in kutcha houses in low- lying areas have been moved to cyclone shelters.


Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has rushed Odisha's Minister of State for Home, D S Mishra to Balasore to monitor the situation in the northern parts of the state. Jena said the four coastal districts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are in the high-risk zone, while the impact of 'Yaas' will also be felt in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Dhenkanal, Angul, and parts of Puri and Khurda districts. He said large-scale destruction is anticipated in the coastal region during landfall.


'Yaas' is likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a VSCS during the next 12 hours, the IMD said. The system has been moving north-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kmph. Wind speeds will increase to 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph over northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off north Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts during landfall, it said. The system is likely to cause heavy rain over large parts of West Bengal and Odisha on Tuesday and Wednesday.


 



Fishermen warned against venturing into sea 



 


The weatherman advised fishermen against venturing out into the sea till further information. It warned of destruction to thatched houses, extensive damage to kutcha dwellings and some damage to pucca buildings in coastal and adjoining interior districts of West Bengal.


The MeT Department also warned of bending or uprooting of electric poles and disruption of railway services due to snapping of power lines and signalling systems.


The South Eastern Railways has announced the cancellation of several passenger special trains till Wednesday.


The cyclone is likely to hit the Kolhan division comprising East and West Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan districts, besides Bokaro and Khunti, Disaster Management Secretary Amitabh Kaushal told PTI.