Cyclone Vayu: Odisha offers help to Gujarat

Bhubaneswar, June 12: As cyclone 'Vayu' advances towards the Gujarat coast, Odisha government Wednesday offered all help to the western state, which has launched a massive evacuation exercise to shift people from low-lying areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions.

Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh called up his Odisha counterpart A P Padhi and sought Odisha's advice on how to tackle the cyclonic storm on a war-footing, officials said Wednesday. "Gujarat chief secretary had called me up and discussed the measures to be taken ahead of the landfall. We have offered all kind of help to Gujarat.

However, the Gujarat chief secretary has said that they will seek further help if required keeping in view the situation," Padhi told reporters here. The Gujarat government is in constant touch with Odisha in view of the eastern state's successful handing of similar calamities like cyclone 'Fani' in May this year and cyclone 'Titli' last year, officials said.

In both the cases, Odisha has been successful in reducing the human casualties due to proper handling of the situation.

Odisha government during cyclone 'Fani' had created a record by evacuating above 15 lakh people to safe place ahead of the landfall of cyclone Fani near Puri. Meanwhile, cyclone Vayu has turned into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and it is likely to cause gusty winds to blow at a speed of 145 kmph to 170 kmph by Thursday morning, according to IMD.