Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday chaired a meeting to review the state’s preparedness to deal with the challenges that are likely to emerge if Cyclone Mocha hits Odisha.

Naveen asked officials to work in coordination with the district administrations and reminded them that the path of a cyclone during summer was unpredictable. Naveen recalled how the state’s coastal belt was hit by Cyclone Fani on May 3, 2019 and how it had wreaked havoc in Puri.

“Cyclone Fani had hit the state in 2019 and caused large-scale devastation. We need to be careful. All lives are precious to us,” Naveen said.

Addressing a media conference, special relief commissioner Satyabrata Sahu said: “In accordance with the direction of the chief minister, we are on alert. As many as 17 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 20 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been kept on alert. A control room has been set up. We are in touch with the India Meteorological Department about the formation of the possible cyclone.”

The IMD has said a low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal this week.

“A cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over southeast Bay of Bengal around May 6. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region during the subsequent 48 hours,” Sahu said.