Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha moved westwards with a speed of 6 km per hour during last six hours, informed the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It lay centered at 5.30 am of September 27 over south Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh near latitude 18.4°N and longitude 82.8°E, about 110 km south-southeast of Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) and 140 km west-northwest of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
It is likely to move nearly westwards and weaken further into a depression during the next 12 hours.
Reportedly, one person was swept away in Odisha’s Ganjam district and two fishermen from the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh were killed and another went missing.
Cyclone Gulab made landfall at Miduguda and Tokali villages near Kalingapatnam town in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. During the landfall, the wind speed of the cyclone at Kalingapatanam was about 90 kilometre per hour and it was 30kmph at Odisha’s Gopalpur, added reports of IMD.
More than 39,000 people, including 600 pregnant women, disabled and the elderly, were evacuated to safety before the cyclone’s landfall, adding there was no such noticeable or remarkable damage in the state, said Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena. He added that many precautionary measures were taken to avoid any untoward incident. “Our officials are on high alert and visiting places to oversee the preparedness,” he added.
Seven southern districts of Odisha including Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur were put on high alert as the regions were vulnerable to landslides.
In Srikakulam district, authorities evacuated 1,100 people from low-lying areas and shifted them to 61 relief centres.
Meanwhile, 08466/08465 Puri-Shalimar-Puri Special from Puri on September 27 and from Shalimar on September 28 will remain cancelled due to abnormal late running of connecting train in view of cyclone Gulab.
As per the last report of East Coast Railway, 34 pairs of trains were cancelled and 13 trains were rescheduled and at least 17 trains were diverted due to the cyclonic storm.
Also read: Landfall Process of cyclone Gulab ends, no major damage reported in Odisha
Ms Kalinga