The Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday announced an advance release of financial assistance for cyclone Fani of Rs 1,086 crore for the states affected by it. This includes Rs  309.375 crore for Tamil Nadu; Rs 200.25 crore for Andhra Pradesh; Rs 340.875 crore for Odisha; and Rs 235.50 crore for West Bengal.

This amount will be given to the respective State Disaster Response Funds to undertake preventive and relief measures. The four states have been on high alert for 24 hours, starting Monday evening.  

Fani intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday. It lies 690 km east-southeast of Chennai and 760 km southeast of Machilipatnam. 

“It is very likely to intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 36 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till 1st May evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards towards Odisha Coast,” a Ministry of Home Affairs statement said on Tuesday morning. 

The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is on high alert to render necessary humanitarian assistance, a Navy spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Indian Naval ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai are on standby to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support, including medical aid. 

These ships are equipped with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats and relief material that include food, tents, clothes, medicines and blankets.

Naval aircraft are also on standby at the Naval Air Stations — INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu and INS Dega at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, casualty evacuation and airdrop of relief material to the stranded if required, the spokesperson added.

The ENC is closely monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal and Flag Officer Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area (FOTNA) and Naval Officers-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh) and (Odisha) are in constant communication with respective state administrations.

With IANS inputs