GUWAHATI, May 3 - Almost the whole of NE region is �mainly type to generally type� cloudy from Friday morning under the impact of the outer band of cyclone �Fani�. Gradually clouding will be more in the region, even as the maximum impact of the cyclone on the region is apprehended to be on May 4 and 5, said sources in the Borjhar-based Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) here this afternoon.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) sources here maintain that in view of the cyclone �Fani� moving closer to the NE region, all districts of the State have been alerted and in their turn, the district authorities have alerted the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The districts are now expected to be in total readiness to face any eventuality arising out of the impact of the cyclone, said the sources.
RMC sources also informed that in most of the NE places light rain is occurring today, and, from tomorrow it is expected to intensify more under the impact of Fani.
The IMD bulletin warned of light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely to occur over Arunachal Pradesh and Assam-Meghalaya Meteorology subdivisions on May 4 and 5 �with isolated extremely heavy falls� over Assam-Meghalaya Met subdivision on May 4.
Light to moderate rainfall at many places with isolated heavy falls are very likely to occur over Nagaland- Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura Met subdivision on May 4.
The IMD has informed the Central Water Commission (CWC) that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur on the lower and middle reaches of the Brahmaputra, Gaurang, Aie, Manas, Puthimari, Pagladiya, Dhansiri (North) and Jia Bharali river basins of the State on May 5.
Basing on it, the CWC said the districts of Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Barpeta, Baska, Bongaigaon, Nalbari, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup, Sontipur, Darrang and Udalguri in the State and East and West Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh were alerted for May 5.
ASDMA sources said that they are in constant touch with the IMD and the CWC and it is getting weather forecast and water levels of Brahmaputra and Barak and their tributaries, and advisories/warnings from the agencies regularly.
SDRF personnel are placed in 40 locations of the State, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been positioned in Cachar, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur, Tinsukia and Jorhat districts. An NDRF battalion is already stationed in Dhemaji and Patgaon in Guwahati, said the ASDMA sources.
A defence press release stated here this evening that the Eastern Air Command headquarter has sized up the situation in conjunction with Air Headquarters and is in standby for any relief and rescue operation due to Fani.
Six light helicopters with winch for rescue work, five medium lift helicopters for deploying relief material and four AN 32 aircraft have been kept ready with medical relief teams for ferrying relief material, medical help and NDRF teams with equipment.
In addition at Kumbhirgram in Silchar, medium lift helicopters have been kept at standby for the phase when the storm would start to effect the States of Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. Operations are being supervised by Air Marshal Sandeep Singh, SASO HQ EAC, said the defence press release.
