Cyclone Jawad to weaken further into low-pressure area during next 6 hours

New Delhi: Cyclone Jawad, which had hit Odisha, West Bengal and other parts of the eastern coast, will weaken further into a low-pressure area on Monday.

The India Meteorological Department in a tweet said, "The Depression (remnant of Cyclonic Storm Jawad) over northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha coast moved northeastwards and weakened into the well-marked low-pressure area (WML) over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts at 05:30 hours IST of 06-12-2021. To weaken further into low-pressure area (LPA) during next 06 hours."

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General Atul Karwal on Saturday said the impact of Cyclonic storm 'Jawad' is not as strong as it was expected, and it is weakening.

The NDRF Director-General told ANI that "the impact would be less than we had earlier expected and the fact that the Cyclone seems to be weakening and not as strong as it was thought it might be."

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba while chairing National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting here on Thursday and Friday had reviewed the preparedness to deal with the cyclone and directed all state and Central agencies to follow each necessary protocol to ensure "no scope for loss of lives and to minimize the damage of property".

As per Home Ministry inputs, Cyclone shelters had already been readied and evacuation of people from the low lying areas is being carried out. It is learnt that all actions had been taken to stock food grains, drinking water, and other essential supplies. Teams for maintenance and restoration of power, roads, water supply, and other essential services have also been positioned. Harvesting of standing crops is also being done to minimize damages.