It is going to be a bleak Dussehra for the people of Odisha, as they curse chief minister Naveen Patnaik as well as “Phailin”. The state government has cancelled the Durga Puja holidays of its employees in all the 30 districts.

Announcing this, revenue and disaster mitigation minister Surya Narayan Patro said the state government took such a step as it might need the help of the employees of other districts during the impending situation.

The state government has extended alerts to six more districts of Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawrangpur and Rayagada. Earlier, 14 districts in coastal districts were put on alert.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister cancelling his Delhi tour on Thursday shot off a letter to the union defence minister A K Antony requesting him to issue standing instructions to the defence forces, especially the air force and the navy to remain in readiness to extend support to the state administration for rescue and relief operations.

The CM informed the defence minister that the past experience indicated that despite preparedness by the state government, the impact of a very severe cyclonic storm required support of the defence forces to mitigate the effects of extreme weather event.  A copy of the letter has also been sent to the union home ministry.

“We are fully prepared to face any eventuality,” Patnaik told reporters adding that the state government had been regularly taking stock of the situation.

Moreover, the cyclonic storm Phailin on Thursday further intensified and lay about 800 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha.  It was located 870 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam and 900 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam.

“The cyclonic storm would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It would continue to move northwest wards and cross Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast by evening of October 12, as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 175-185 kmph,” said Mr Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director of Indian Meteorological Department, Bhubaneswar.

Refuting that the cyclonic storm would take shape of a super cyclone, Mr Sahu said, “as of now the latest satellite data says the system will take the form of very severe cyclonic storm and make land fall on October 12.”

He issued warning for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal  and said under the influence of this system, rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at few places with isolated extremely heavy falls (about 25 cms) would occur over coastal Odisha commencing from October 12 morning. This would continue and extend to interior Odisha and coastal areas of Gangetic West Bengal from October 13 morning.

Under its impact, squally winds speed reaching 45-55 km increasing to 65 kmph would commence along and off Odisha coast and north Andhra Pradesh coast from October 11 morning, informed Mr Sahu. It would increase its intensity with gale wind speed reaching 175-185 kmph along and off coastal districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha at the time of land fall.

State of the sea along and off Odisha nd Andhra Pradesh coast will be rough to very rough from October 11 morning and will become “phenomenal” on October 12. It will be also rough to very rough along and off West Bengal coast during this period, Mr Sahu added.

“Storm surge with height of around 1.5 to 2.0 meter above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulum district of Andhra Pradesh during the land fall,” he said.

IMD also said that extensive damage to kutcha houses, partial disruption of power and communication line could be the impact of the cyclone. Minor disruption of rail and road traffic and potential threat from flying debris are also expected.