Jamshedpur, May 24: East Singhbhum which shares its border with Bengal and Odisha has taken up preventive measures and issued a high alert to prevent casualties due to the severe cyclone ‘Yaas’ touching coastal areas tomorrow. Cyclone Yaas is likely to make landfall along the Bengal-Odisha coast between May 24 and May 26. DC Suraj Kumar convened a meeting with officials of civic bodies and gave important instructions. A total of 23 shelter homes have been identified.
Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) which looks after civic amenities in Jamshedpur also organised a meeting in view of the cyclone alert to identify and prepare community shelters in different low-lying areas in city and outskirts.
“ We are ready to face the situation. We have identified community shelters near low lying areas which would have relief materials, foods, lights and drinking water arrangements. Public announcements are being made in low-lying areas,’ said JNAC special officer Krishna Kumar.
He said that following instruction of the deputy commissioner East Singhbhum we have directed all the residents of low lying areas to remain alert.
“We have also asked all the block development officers (BDOs) to make public announcements in villages having a large number of kucha hutments to be on alert or get evacuated to prevent casualties in the thunderstorm which will see gusts of winds and rains. Community shelter houses have been prepared in panchayat buildings in different blocks for accommodating villagers. All officials have been directed to be on high alert,” said East Singhbhum DC.
The administration has also set up an emergency helpline number 0657-2440111 for anyone affected by cyclones. The civil defence and Red Cross personnel have also been asked to be prepared for relief service.
Incidentally, there are 11 blocks with some of them namely, Ghurabandha, Baharagora and Potka sharing borders with Odisha.
According to the local Meteorological Department (IMD) a low-pressure area has formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal. As per the weather department, the storm would continue to move north-northwestwards and intensify further and reach the North Bay of Bengal near West Bengal adjoining North Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around the morning of May 26.