Cyclone Michaung alert: Odisha to close all schools on December 6, railway precautions taken

To prepare for the impending cyclone, Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Puducherry, along with the Special Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management in Andhra Pradesh, briefed the committee on the ongoing preparatory measures.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Dec 5, 2023, 10:58 AM IST

With the looming threat of heavy rainfall from Cyclonic Storm Michaung over the Bay of Bengal, the Odisha government has taken preemptive action, announcing the closure of all schools on December 6, 2023 (Wednesday).

An official notification from the office of the collector and district magistrate in Gajapati stated, "All primary, upper primary, high school, and anganwadi centers shall remain closed on 6th December 2023."

Cyclone Michaung: Flight operations at Chennai airport resumes

Anticipating the impact, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) proactively cancelled 60 trains within its jurisdiction ahead of Cyclone Michaung's expected landfall. ECoR also established a Crisis Management Cell to oversee the situation related to the cyclone.

Ashoka Kumar Mishra, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of ECoR, emphasized, "ECoR has planned for early restoration of train traffic and Railway Track, if affected by Cyclone Michaung, based on early meteorological predictions and prior disaster management experiences."

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow warning for heavy rain in specific areas, including districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Rayagada on December 6.

Cyclone Michaung likely to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh today, 8 dead in Chennai rain

In light of the cyclone, fishermen have been cautioned against venturing into the deep sea along and off the Odisha coast from December 4 to 6 to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, the IMD's latest update on Cyclone Michaung's movement revealed its proximity to the coast, indicating its likely northward trajectory close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast. The storm is projected to cross south Andhra Pradesh between Nellore and Machilipatnam, emphasizing the need for heightened preparedness and precautionary measures in the region.

Last Updated Dec 5, 2023, 10:58 AM IST