With Cyclone Asani likely to approach the shores of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the administration in the archipelago had been making necessary arrangements to deal with eventualities, which include evacuation of people from low-lying areas, an official statement said. A well-marked low pressure area over South East Bay of Bengal and adjoining South Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a depression on March 20 and a cyclonic storm around March 21, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain, at a meeting held in Port Blair on Friday, March 18, reviewed the preparedness of the administration, and asked all stakeholders to ensure that temporary camps set up to give shelter to those being evacuated have provisions for food, water and other basic amenities, the statement said. Narain also directed that shipping services be immediately suspended in view of the inclement weather and no fishing boats would be allowed to venture into the sea.

He asked the disaster management department to issue pamphlets and generate awareness on the dos and don'ts in the wake of eventualities. The IMD has warned of light to moderate rainfall and thundershower on March 20 at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall in a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in the union territory. On March 21, light to moderate rainfall and thundershower is likely to occur at most places with isolated heavy rainfalls very likely over Andaman Islands. Advisories have also been issued to all fishermen urging them not to venture into Andaman Sea and adjoining South East Bay of Bengal.

Significant rainfall and thundershowers were received at a few places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday, March 18. Rainfall/thundershower were observed at a few places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands and at isolated places over Kerala-Mahe, while significant amount of rainfall/thundershowers were observed at Nancowry and Car Nicobar (2 cm each) and Punalur (1 cm), the IMD records showed.

With PTI and IANS inputs