On the evening of the 29th of April, Cyclone Fani intensified into a major cyclone and according to data, the storm is expected to get worse. With the intensity increasing, both the Centre and the Indian Navy are pooling in resources to give aid as and when required.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone turned into an intense cyclone at 5.30 P.M., on the 29th of April and by the 2nd of May, it will turn into an extremely severe cyclone.
The Centre has already started dispatching funds to the tune of Rs. 1,086 crores to the places affected by Fani and said, support will be increased when needed.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) already released disaster relief funds in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Apart from releasing funds for the affected areas, the Indian Navy has been put on high alert along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
The National Disaster Response Force (NRDF) and the Indian Coast Guard were also put on high alert. Fishermen in the area were asked not to venture out into the seas as there is a massive threat to their life and safety.
“Naval aircraft are standing by at Naval air station INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu and INS Dega at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, casualty evacuation and air drop of relief material to the stranded if required,” said a spokesperson of the Indian Navy.
The ships deployed by the Indian Navy are equipped with divers, doctors, medicines, rubber boats and inflatable materials to make the relief process a slightly easy task.
On Monday, the Odisha Government asked the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to keep a close watch on the situation and give the Government regular updates.
According to IMD’s forecast, the Cyclone is gushing toward the coast with a speed of 80 to 90 kilometres per hour (kmph). At the moment, the Cyclone is located 880 km southeast of Chennai and as it continues to move northwest, predictions are, it will turn toward the northeast coast within the next few days.
Stay tuned for more updates.
