Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh government has set up rehabilitation centres in the coastal areas of Srikakulam district on Thursday. The move comes in the wake of tropical cyclone Fani, that continues to strengthen.
Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated along India's eastern coast as authorities braced for a cyclone moving through the Bay of Bengal that was forecast to bring extremely severe wind and rain.
The India Meteorological Department in New Delhi said Cyclone Fani was expected to make landfall on Friday with gale-force winds of up to 200 kilometres (124 miles) per hour likely starting Thursday night.
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It warned of "extremely heavy falls" over parts of the state of Odisha and its southern neighbour Andhra Pradesh.
India's National Disaster Management Authority forecast "high to phenomenal" sea conditions for most of the Indian states along the Bay of Bengal.
Fishermen were advised not to venture into deep waters.
A 1.5-metre (4.9-foot) storm surge was expected to inundate low-lying areas.
Two rehabilitation centres have been set up in Iddivanipeta, a coastal village in Kaviti mandala. One of the centres has been set up in a local school, while another, which is far away, is set up at cyclone shelter.
Sanyasi, a resident of the district said: "Our village has cyclone threat. So the officials have shifted us from our village to this centre. Here facilities are okay."
Food, water, milk as well as medical facilities have been arranged for the people who have been evacuated. Almost 4000 villagers are provided shelter in these two centres.
Speaking further Sanyasi informed: "They provided us with food and medicines. Children have been given milk. However, there is not enough place for us to sit here. Otherwise, we are okay with the arrangements."
NASA has released a satellite image, taken on Wednesday, that shows Cyclone Fani off the eastern coast of India.
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Cyclone Fani continued to strengthen and move north through the Northern Indian Ocean on April 30 and May 1. Fani has been located off the southeastern coast of India, north of the island of Sri Lanka.
The India Meteorological Department forecasts Fani to make landfall along the Odisha coastline between Gopalpur and Chandbali on May 3 at hurricane-strength.
