Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Bihar reached here on Tuesday to help with rescue and relief operations if and when required in the wake of cyclonic storm Yaas which is expected to make landfall close to Dhamra port in north Odisha coast on Wednesday morning.
The NDRF teams _ each has 24 members _ were called in as the three Kolhan districts - East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan _ of southern Jharkhand are likely to face the maximum fury of the cyclonic storm.
IMD forecast suggests that the cyclonic storm would approach Jharkhand from the south eastern part (East Singhbhum) as a severe cyclonic storm around 11.30 pm of Wednesday (May 26 ) and gradually reach Khunti district with decreased intensity as a deep depression by the night of Thursday (May 27). It would further move north-west, gradually decreasing in intensity, and reach Gumla district as a depression the same night (May 27). Later, the system would move further northwards and gradually become weak.
IMD's Ranchi Met Centre forecast widespread heavy rain in several districts, including East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Simdega, Gumla, Khunti, Ranchi, Latehar, Lohardaga, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh and Chatra, in the next 48 hours due to the impact of the cyclone.
The forecast also indicated squally winds with speed reaching 40kmph to 50 kmph gusting to 60 Kmph which is likely to prevail over southern Jharkhand from May 26 forenoon and increase gradually becoming 90kmph to 120 kmph gusting to 130 kmph over south-east Jharkhand and 70kmph to 80 Kmph gusting to 90 Kmph over southwest Jharkhand by the evening of May 26.
But several Jharkhand districts close to Odisha and Bengal borders started feeling the impact of the approaching cyclone from Tuesday afternoon. Dark clouds in Jamshedpur and its adjoining districts were followed by intermittent rain on Tuesday.
The Jamshedpur skyline remained mostly overcast on Tuesday. Picture by Bhola Prasad
East Singhbhum's forms team
The East Singhbhum district administration constituted an Incident Response Team in the wake of Yaas cyclone. It has also set up a control room for meeting any exigencies.
Apart from evacuating people from low-lying areas and those living in thatched houses to temporary shelter homes, the administration also alerted various departments _ power, forest, fire, road, health and drinking water and sanitization.
No vaccination for two days
Deputy Commissioner of East Singhbhum Suraj Kumar took stock of the preparedness on Tuesday afternoon. He appealed to people to stay indoors for the next two days and also issued an order for suspending the vaccination drive on May 26 and 27.
The DC also appealed to industries to curtail manpower by 30 to 40 per cent for the next two days.
Railway helpline
Chakradharpur railway division of South Eastern Railway announced several helpline numbers, namely, for Tatanagar: 73523(Rly) and 0657-2290324 (universal); for Chakradharpur: (06587) 238047; for Jharsuguda 9437958935 (WLL no.); for Rourkela: 0661-250172.
Earlier, SER had cancelled around a dozen special and other local passenger trains passing through Tatanagar and other stations of Chakradharpur division between May 25 and 28.
