Cyclone Fani Heads To Odisha, Election Code Lifted In 11 Districts: 10 Points

Cyclone Fani: Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. (PTI)

Highlights

All educational institutions in Odisha will be closed from tomorrow
Cyclone Fani is expected to cross Odisha coast on Friday afternoon
Coastal West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu too on alert

New Delhi: As Cyclone Fani gained strength and moved closer to the Odisha coast, the state was put on "yellow" alert by the weather department. The Odisha government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions in the state from tomorrow. The Election Commission has lifted the model code of conduct in the coastal districts of Odisha to ensure that the state is prepared to face Fani and is ready for rescue and relief efforts. The cyclonic storm turned into an "extremely severe cyclonic" storm, the Navy said late on Tuesday night. Cyclone Fani is expected to cross the Odisha coast on Friday afternoon. Coastal Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu too are on high alert.

Here are the top 10 updates on Cyclone Fani:

In Odisha, the model code of conduct has been lifted in the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati, Ganjam, Khordha, Cuttack and Jajpur to facilitate rescue, relief, and restoration activities.
Authorities in Odisha also advised tourists to leave the temple town of Puri by tomorrow evening and cancel non-essential travel to the districts likely to be affected on Friday and Saturday.
The Army and Air Force unites in three states - Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal - have been put on standby. The Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is deploying 41 teams in areas considered to be vulnerable - Andhra Pradesh (8), Odisha (28) and West Bengal (5). The NDRF has also kept on standby 13 teams in West Bengal and 10 in Andhra Pradesh.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met on Tuesday and reviewed how the states are preparing to deal with the situation.
Heavy damage is expected in Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha. The cyclone is also likely to have a strong impact in Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore. In Bengal, Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogli, and Kolkata may see some impact of the cyclone.
Odisha's 879 multipurpose cyclone shelters have been kept ready. The shelters can accommodate about one million people during cyclones and floods.
Fishermen have been asked not to venture out far in areas southwest and southeast of Bay of Bengal.
A storm surge of about 1.5 metres height above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts in Odisha at the time of landfall, news agency ANI reported.
The name ''Fani", which is pronounced as "Foni", was suggested by Bangladesh. Roughly translated, "Fani" means the hood of a snake, according to reports.
On Monday, PM Modi expressed concern over Cyclone Fani. "Spoke to officials regarding the situation arising due to Cyclone Fani. Asked them to take preventive measures and be prepared to provide all possible assistance. Also urged them to work closely with Governments of the affected states. Praying for everyone's safety and well-being," PM Modi tweeted.