Cyclone Fani: 1,086 cr to states as advance assistance

The Centre on Tuesday ordered the release of Rs 1,086 crore to four states as advance financial assistance for undertaking preventive and relief measures to deal with cyclone 'Fani', which is approaching the Indian coast.

Following a decision of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered for the advance release of financial assistance of Rs 1,086 crore to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) of four states, an official statement said.

Of the sanctioned amount, Odisha will receive Rs 340.87 crore, Tamil Nadu Rs 309.37 crore, West Bengal Rs 235.50 crore and Andhra Pradesh will get Rs 200.25 crore.

The move has been made to assist the states for undertaking preventive and relief measures in response to cyclonic storm 'Fani'.

The NCMC is the country's top body to deal with emergency situations.

Cyclone 'Fani' is likely to intensify into an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' by Tuesday night and can hit the Odisha coast by Friday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department said.

In its 12 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said 'Fani' (pronounced Foni) lays over southeast and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal, about 830 km nearly south of Puri (Odisha) and 670 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and about 680 km northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka).

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Coast Guard have been put on high alert and the fishermen asked not to venture into the sea.

The wind speed of a cyclonic storm is 80-90 kilometres per hour with wind gusting up to 100 kmph. In case of an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm', the wind speed goes up to 170-180 kmph and could gain the speed of 195-200 kmph.