Besides six fishermen, an uprooted tree fell on and killed a 62-year-old woman in Gudivada Agraharam village in Andhra Pradesh. In Rotanasa village in Srikakulam district, a building collapse killed a 55-year-old man. A kid got drowned in a canal in the Hinjili area of Ganjam district of Odisha; five are missing after they got swept away in flood waters.
Cyclone Titli in Odisha
Cyclone Titli’s landfall occurred in Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coast near 18.8 *N and 84.5* E, with a wind speed of 140-150 kmph. In some places, the wind speed was even reported to be 165 kmph. Likely to move towards Gangetic West Bengal in north-eastward direction, 17 districts in Odisha where heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to occur, are under red alert. Port warning for Chandipur and Paradip is 9, and 10 for Gopalpur and Puri, which is the highest.
Preparations and precautions
The Met department had asked tourists in Digha, Mandarmani, Sankarpur and other places along the state’s coast “not to undergo any seawater-bound activities during this period”. The State Disaster Management Authority had warned fishermen not to travel into the sea as gale speed winds were expected.
To effectively track Cyclone Titli, 30 District Emergency Operation Centres have been activated. 300 Power boats of Special Relief Organisation have veen kept ready for relief operations. 879 Multi-purpose cyclone/ flood shelters have been kept ready for any emergency. For evacuees in the shelters, 1,112 relief cmps have been opened. Pregnant women, 105 in Ganjam and 18 in Jagatsinghpur, have been moved to hospitals. Arrangements have been made so that fire services teams can be deployed at short notice. No government official should avail leave, and schools, colleges and AWCs shall remain closed till October 12, 2018.
24-hour emergency cell
A 24-hour emergency cell has been opened by the Odisha unit of Congress, which will begin to function from October 10 to October 16. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said that those affected by Cyclone Titli can contact on the following mobile numbers: 7609852131, 8895203001, 9861011962, 7008799364, 9348161633, 8847858020, 9937948868 and 9237010939.
Damage and Casualties
The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said that besides causing extensive damage in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Cyclone Titli killed eight people. According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), six fishermen who ventured into the sea died. 65 of the 67 fishing boats that went into the sea from Kakinada in East Godavari district over the last few days were safely brought back to the shore.
Besides the six fishermen, an uprooted tree fell on and killed a 62-year-old woman in Gudivada Agraharam village. In Rotanasa village in Srikakulam district, a building collapse killed a 55-year-old man.
The road network and the power distribution network in Srikakulam district have faced widespread damage. Strong winds uprooted more than 2,000 electric poles.
Traffic on the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway and the district’s telecommunication networks have been hit, reported The Wire.
Horticulture crops in Srikakulam district and paddy in Vizianagaram suffered extensive damage. Coconut plantations, banana and mango trees were hit the worst.
Similar cyclones in the past
A devastating cyclone that had hit Odisha in 2013 was Cyclone Phailin, and official sources say that 9,83,642 had to be evacuated. Cyclone Hudhud was another destructive storm that had hit the state in 2014, during which 2,55,042 people had to be shifted to multi-purpose shelters. However, Cyclone Daye that had hit the state last month had a low intensity.
“Do not panic!”
To spread positive vibes and courage, Sudarsan Pattnaik, International Sand Artist and Padma Shri Awardee, posted a picture of a sand art.
Don’t panic! Stay Safe ,let’s be prepared to stay safe and help others . #CycloneTitli . My SandArt at puri beach #Odisha . pic.twitter.com/e33gCCaAvk
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) October 10, 2018
