Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the response measures against the cyclone ‘AMPHAN’ which has been developing in the Bay of Bengal.
During the meeting, PM Modi took full stock of the situation and reviewed the response preparedness as well as the evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). During the presentation of the response plan, DG NDRF informed that 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground while 12 others are ready in reserve.
24 other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country.
The meeting was also attended by Amit Shah, Union Home Minister; PK Sinha Principal Advisor to the Prime Minister; Rajiv Gauba, Cabinet Secretary, besides other senior officers of Government of India.
Earlier in the day, the weather department said: “It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and move fast across the northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon/evening of 20th May 2020 as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.”
The weather phenomenon will cause heavy rainfall and high-velocity wind in coastal districts of Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar.
According to experts, the North Odisha coast will face the maximum impact of cyclone ‘AMPHAN’ when it makes landfall.
Last year, Odisha was taken in its grip by cyclone Fani.