Odisha evacuates 1.6 lakh people as severe cyclonic storm Murasu approaches
The storm is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
The Odisha government evacuated 1,60,021 people across five districts on Monday as severe cyclonic storm Murasu approached the Andhra Pradesh coast, according to The Hindu. The evacuations include 1,068 pregnant women moved to safer locations.
In Ganjam, 1,51,434 people have been shifted against a target of 2,94,752. Other evacuations include 5,073 people in Malkangiri, 2,394 in Kandhamal, 620 in Gajapati, and 500 in Koraput.
State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government is ready for the storm, which is expected to make landfall on the southern Andhra Pradesh coast during the night of November 2-3. He noted that Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Puri are likely to be among the worst affected.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm is likely to cross the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, south of Ongole, between 11:30 pm on Monday and 4 am on Tuesday. Wind speeds are expected to reach 100-110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph.
The IMD has issued a red alert for five Andhra Pradesh districts, including Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Prakasam, and Nellore, for Monday. In Tamil Nadu, authorities declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai and Tiruvallur on Monday due to the forecast of heavy rain.