Odisha, Andhra, Bengal brace for Cyclone Jawad; NDRF in readiness to tackle challenge

NDRF Director General (DG) Atul Karwal said that 46 teams have been deployed or pre-positioned in the vulnerable states, while 18 teams have been kept in reserve.

As cyclonic storm 'Jawad' rolled towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast on Friday, a day before landfall in Odisha's Puri district, the NDRF kept in readiness its 64 teams to meet any eventuality in the aftermath of the tempest which is likely to also affect West Bengal, officials said.

The cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall somewhere in Puri district of Odisha before heading out to the Bay of Bengal, the state's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena said.