Cyclone Fani: Odisha Declares Holidays in Schools, Colleges From May 2; Tourists Asked to Vacate Puri by Thursday Evening
On the Chief Minister's request, the Election Commission has also lifted the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), to ensure speedy rescue and relief operations.
Bhubaneswar, May 1: With cyclone Fani expected to make landfall in Odisha on May 3, the Naveen Patnaik government has ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in the state from tomorrow till further orders. The tourists in Puri have also been asked to vacate the town by the evening of Thursday, May 2, as the cyclone would be hitting the coastal belt the next day. MCC Lifted in Puri, Cuttack, Jajpur and 8 Other Districts for Relief Operations
On the Chief Minister's request, the Election Commission has also lifted the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), to ensure speedy rescue and relief operations. The decision was taken by the EC shortly after the Indian Navy categorised Fani as an "extremely severe" cyclone, which is now gushing over the Bay of Bengal at 200 km/hr.
CM Patnaik Reaches Out to EC:
879 multipurpose shelter homes have been kept ready in Odisha to shift people staying in vulnerable and low-lying parts of the state. The shelter homes could collectively house upto 1 million people for a temporary period.
The Centre has released Rs Odisha Rs 340.87 crore in form of assistance to Odisha to expedite the rescue operation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also directed the officials to monitor the situation in Odisha, along with the rest of East Coast, as the cyclone is feared to adversely impact Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as well.
An assistance of Rs Rs 309.37 crore, Rs 235.50 crore and Rs 200.25 crore has also been dispatched to Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has stationed 41 teams along three eastern coastal states, with the maximum in Odisha (28), followed by Andhra Pradesh (8) and West Bengal (5).
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2019 11:14 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).