Amravati : Cyclone ‘Jawad’ in the Bay of Bengal is likely to reach North Andhra Pradesh today (Saturday, 04 December). The storm can cause the most havoc in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Bengal. To avoid possible loss of life and property, the Andhra Pradesh government has evacuated more than 54,008 people from three districts and shifted them to safer places. Rescue teams have rescued 15,755 people from Srikakulam district, 1,700 from Vizianagaram and 36,553 from Visakhapatnam.
The government has set up 197 relief camps in schools and community halls. 11 teams of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the state, while five teams of State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) and six teams of Coast Guard have also been deployed.
In view of the storm, the state government has ordered that the gram panchayats and district collectorates will work day and night. Two helicopters have been kept on standby to deal with any situation. The government has also released one crore rupees.
On the other hand, the Odisha government has ordered the closure of schools in 19 districts of the state in view of the cyclonic storm ‘Jawad’. According to the order of the Department of School and Mass Education, all government, aided and private schools affiliated to the department in 19 districts of Odisha will remain closed on December 4 in view of cyclone ‘Jawad’.
The 19 districts where schools will remain closed include Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Rayagada, Cuttack, Khordha, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Malkangiri and Mayurbhanj. As per the order, if there is any “examination schedule already planned”, it may be conducted “with utmost care under close surveillance”.
The order said, “There is a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in all the above districts or at isolated places. Therefore, the students should not come to the school. However, if any examination has been scheduled, it may be taken under the supervision of administration, and can be conducted under extreme caution.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Cyclone Jawad is likely to reach north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on Saturday morning and Puri is likely to receive heavy rains on Sunday. During this, strong winds with a speed of 80 to 100 kmph are likely. The IMD has also said that the cyclonic storm will turn into a major storm in the sea for a temporary period and winds can reach up to 110 km per hour.
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