**Bhubaneswar**: The Odisha Government has ordered complete preparedness in all districts, especially in the coastal region, and advised farmers to keep their harvested paddy under cover to avoid damage from rainfall due to depression over Bay of Bengal, officials said here on Tuesday.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department today asked all Government officials to stay prepared to face the possible cyclonic storm.
In a letter to the District Collectors, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) advised the officials quoting the IMD report to keep the situation under watch in view of the well marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman sea concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 0900 UTC of today over southeast Bay of Bengal about 1360 km south-southeast of Gopalpur. The system is likely to move west-northwestwards initially and then northwestwards.
Majority of models suggest intensification of the system into a deep depression during next 24 hours and further intensification into a cyclonic storm in subsequent 24 hours. Under its influence, moderate rainfall is anticipated in the districts of south and coastal Odisha during 10th to 13th December. Further information will be intimated in due course, the letter said.
“Farmers may be advised to keep their harvested paddy under cover in a safe place to avoid damage due to rain. Necessary measures may also be taken to protect paddy in mandies,” the SRC advised.
