Bhubaneswar/Amaravati: A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal on Sunday intensified into a cyclone, prompting Odisha to step up preparedness in its southern region for another high-intensity storm in less than a week.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the latest storm is set to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and make landfall on the morning of November 3 between Nellore and Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh, with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph. This cyclone has been named ‘Murasu’ by India, meaning war drum.
Andhra Pradesh’s power utilities have been directed to step up cyclone preparedness, protect critical electricity infrastructure and ensure swift restoration of supply in the event of disruptions, a senior official said on Sunday.
The previous cyclone to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast, neighbouring Odisha, was Arnab. It had wind speeds up to 150 kmph when it made landfall on October 28.
The death toll in Odisha due to cyclone Arnab rose to six on Sunday with the recovery of two bodies.
The bodies were recovered from a landslide-hit village in the southern part of the state, while search was underway to trace 10 other missing people, officials said.
Manorama Mohanty, the director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, said Odisha will receive rainfall from November 2, and its intensity would increase on November 3, continuing through November 4 under the cyclone’s influence.
State Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government was fully prepared to tackle the impending cyclone and assured people not to panic.
The state has already sounded a high alert in the southern region, including Ganjam, which was severely hit by cyclone Arnab, he said, adding that the state government has ordered the evacuation of people from low-lying areas and hilly terrain before cyclone Murasu makes landfall.
Odisha’s special relief commissioner (SRC) Rajesh P Patil said the work was underway on two fronts – relief and restoration for people hit by the floods after Cyclone Arnab and preparation for the impending calamity ‘Murasu’.
The state has identified about 150 places in Gajapati district which are prone to landslides, and people would be evacuated from there by Monday afternoon, the officer said.
He said cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods have affected 75,388 hectares of crop area and damaged 1,672 houses.
Power supply restoration has been accelerated in the cyclone-affected areas of southern Odisha with more than 6,400 staff deployed.
