Cyclone Sitrang to turn ‘severe’ over Bay of Bengal, NE states on high alert

The deep depression system Sitrang over west central and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal has turned into a cyclonic storm, the India Meteological Department said on Sunday.

The system is moving at a speed of 11 kmph and lay centred at 6pm on October 23, at around 520 km south of Sagar Islands, 760 km northwest of Port Blair and 670 km south southwest of Barisal.

The system is likely to turn into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. It is predicted to move north-northeastwards and very likely to cross Bangladesh coast between Tinikona island and Sandwip close to Barisal in the morning of October 25.

Six of the eight northeastern states on Sunday sounded a maximum alert and asked all the concerned districts, disaster management authorities and agencies to remain maximum alert with all precautionary measures to deal with the heavy to very heavy rainfall predicted in view of the cyclone 'Sitrang' on Monday to Wednesday.

The state governments have asked the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) authority to deploy additional troops in the probable areas, where heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur in view of the cyclone 'Sitrang' on Monday to Wednesday.

Maximum rainfall has been predicted up to 200 mm.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Assam, East Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura expected to occur from Monday to Wednesday.

"Extremely heavy rainfall over Tripura and Mizoram is likely to occur till October 26 (Wednesday)," the IMD said in a statement.

Three southern Assam districts -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi, all 11 districts of Mizoram, all 8 eight districts of Tripura and most of the 16 districts of Nagaland have taken a series of measures to deal with the possible cyclonic situations.

In Agartala, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha reviewed the situation with all departments, Army and Central para-military forces seeking their active support.

The Tripura government has taken 30 point steps and actions. These include, regulations of movement of vehicles across the state on October 25 and 26, opening of adequate number of relief with adequate quantities of relief materials, preparing adequate number of Quick Reaction Teams and regular assessment of the situation.

(With IANS inputs)