The Odisha government on May 24 relaxed lockdown restrictions in 10 districts for two days in view of the impending very severe cyclonic storm Yaas.
“The deep depression, which remained practically stationary over east-central Bay of Bengal during the past six hours, intensified into cyclonic storm Yaas at 5.30 a.m.”, said H. R. Biswas, Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, on Monday.
It lay centred about 600 km north-northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 540 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 650 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and 630 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal), according to an India Meteorological Department bulletin.
It is very likely to move slowly north-northwestwards, intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 24 hours, bulletin informs.
The IMD predicted that it would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 26 early morning. It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coast between Paradip and Sagar Islands around May 26 noon as a very severe cyclonic storm.
With a view to allow people more time to obtain essential items from markets during lockdown before the impending cyclone reaches the coast of Odisha, the government has allowed shops to operate between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. in 10 districts, said Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra in a notification.
People can procure milk products and food items in districts such as Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Cuttack, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Jajpur.