Home Ministry is closely monitoring Cyclone Fani

Guwahati: The Home Ministry on Friday said that heavy rainfall is predicted in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and parts of the northeastern states as the eye of cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ has completely moved into land by 8 AM today.

The National Emergency Response Centre (NERC) under the home ministry said that power and telecommunication lines in Puri district of Odisha are completely down and restoration work is on.

The central government is closely monitoring the mass operations carried out by the rescuers deployed by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Air Force.

In a statement issued by the home ministry, it said that the landfall process started from 8 AM on Friday close to Puri and the eye of the system has completely moved into land by 10 am. The extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani weakened into very severe cyclonic storm and lay centered at 11.30 am about 10 km in the east of Bhubaneshwar and 30 km to the south of Cuttack.

The statement also reads as, “Moderate rainfall is expected at most places, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rains at isolated places over coastal Odisha and adjoining districts of interior parts of the state today.

Most places in Odisha is likely to receive light to moderate rains on Saturday with heavy to very heavy rainfall occurring at isolated places in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts.

The home ministry is closely monitoring Cyclone Fani at the highest level round the clock and it is in constant touch with the state chief secretaries and relief commissioners and central agencies concerned.

The home ministry has also launched helpline number 1938 which has been activated in the control room of home ministry. The NDRF has deployed 60 teams each comprising 45 personnel while 25 teams are kept on standby.

Also Read: NATIONAL NEWS