New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, 30 April 2019: As a precautionary measure for carrying out relief operations in view of the Cyclonic storm Fani, the Centre on Tuesday ordered advance release of Rs. 340.875 crore for Odisha.
The centre also ordered financial assistance of Rs. 200.25 crore for Andhra Pradesh, Rs. 309.375 crore for Tamil Nadu and Rs. 235.50 crore for West Bengal.
According to reports, the fund will be given to the State Disaster Response Fund based on the decision of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).
Cyclone Fani is very likely to intensify further into an ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm’ during next 36 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till May 1 evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards towards Odisha coast, an IMD bulletin said.
Earlier, it was being speculated that the cyclone will hit Odisha coast between Puri’s Satpada and Chandrabhaga. However, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has forecasted that the storm is likely to make landfall on the coastline between Bhadrak and Balasore.
Prasanta Patnaik