Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to stop Covid-19 vaccination on Sunday and Monday in view of cyclone Gulab.

 “Based on IMD’s present forecast of low pressure, heavy rain is likely to occur in next two days. Keeping safety and security of citizens, Commissioner BMC has stopped Covid-19 mass vaccination in Bhubaneswar on September 26 and 27,” said a BMC official.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday has issued a cyclone alert for north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts.

IMD, in a tweet, said, “Cyclone Alert for north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts: DD is centred near 18.4°N/88.7°E.To cross north Andhra Pradesh – south Odisha coasts b/w Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur by the evening of September 26.”

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) chaired a meeting under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gaubare and viewed the preparedness of Central ministries and agencies, state governments to deal with the situation arising out of a cyclonic storm developing in the Bay of Bengal.

In the meeting, the Director-General of IMD briefed that the cyclone is expected to cross the north Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coasts by the evening of September 26, with wind speeds ranging from 75-85 km per hour, gusting to 95 km per hour, accompanied by heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of the states. It is likely to affect the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Ganjam and Gajapati in Odisha.