Odisha govt says no threat of cyclone, advises people against panic buying

Odisha’s special relief commissioner said a cyclonic storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal and North Andaman Sea may not touch Odisha coast.

The Odisha government on Tuesday said the possibility of the cyclonic storm touching the state’s coast was very low even as a depression over Bay of Bengal and North Andaman Sea moved westwards.

Odisha was battered by cyclone Fani in May. (PTI)

“The cyclonic storm may not touch Odisha coast. There is no clear indication of cyclone threat to Odisha coast as of now. As per the data available with us, the system is most likely to move towards West Bengal and Bangladesh. I would appeal to the people not to panic and whenever there is information on the possible cyclone we will inform. We advise the people not to panic and resort to buying generators or inverters,” said Odisha’s special relief commissioner (SRC) Pradip Jena.

Quoting Indian Meteorological Department forecast Jena said that coastal Odisha will experience low to medium rainfall and in interior Odisha, some places may also experience rainfall from November 7 and added that some isolated places may experience heavy rainfall.

On Tuesday, the IMD said a depression over Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in next 24 hours and might move towards Odisha-West Bengal coasts.

“At 2:30 pm the depression over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and North Andaman Sea moved westwards with a speed of 11 kmph and lay centred at east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and North Andaman Sea,” the IMD bulletin said.