Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Friday directed 12 district collectors of the coastal area to be vigilant as a cyclonic storm 'Amfan' is forming over the Bay of Bengal. Chief Secretary Asit Tripathi said in a review meeting on Friday to ensure that all precautionary steps have been taken to deal with any untoward situation arising due to the cyclone.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh took big step to become self-reliant in defence sector

All the district collectors, especially the district collectors of North Odisha, have been asked to keep a close watch on the situation. Tripathi had a detailed discussion with the collectors of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Balasore and Bhadrak districts about the steps to be taken for the possible storm through video conferencing. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena said that according to the IMD, the low pressure over the southeast part of the Bay of Bengal can deepen into a depression and then rise above the southern part of the Bay of Bengal and the central part adjacent to it. By the evening of May, a cyclonic storm can occur.

PM relief package can become lifeline for business

The SRC said, "It is not certain whether the storm will hit north Odisha or move towards West Bengal or Bangladesh. The situation is not clear yet. But the government is fully prepared to deal with a possible cyclone. As a precaution District collectors have been kept on high alert."

Migrants walking their way home with no hope of transport in Telangana