CHENNAI: The super-cyclone Phailin will lash the coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in the evening of Saturday with its focus on Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsingpur districts in Odisha and Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. Expecting large-scale disruption in power and communication networks and transport and supplies of essential commodities, the district authorities have started evacuating the people from the danger-prone coastal areas. Phailin is
feared to be worse than the 1999 super-cyclone that took a heavy toll of 10,000 lives.
Gopalpur, Baruva, Ganjam, Satpada, Puri and Srikakulam are fated to bear the major brunt
of the super-storm.
Reports are in that 20 fishermen from Jagatsinghpur are stuck in the high seas and efforts are
on to rescue them.
About three lakh people have been evacuated from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and it is
estimated that over a crore people could be affected. The Army, Navy and Air Force have been
put on standby for relief operations. The National Disaster Response Force personnel have
taken up positions in Ganjam, Brahmapur, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Srikakulam.
Meanwhile, there is a scramble for essential provisions at stores and vegetable markets all
over in both the States, leading to prices shooting up.
According to an Odisha Govt statement, about one-sixth of the State will be affected by the
surging sea waters. It said 10 per cent of the standing paddy and sugarcane crops in about 36
lakh hectares of agricultural land will be damaged.
Although the US Navy predicts that cyclone Phailin will hit with winds reaching 315 kmph on
landfall, which will be the most powerful Category 5 storm, the Indian Met department
officials expect the speed to be only 220 kmph.
