With Cyclone Asani expected to reach the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' shores, the archipelago's administration has been making preparations to deal with any eventualities, including the evacuation of people from low-lying areas, according to an official statement released today. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) website, a well-marked low pressure region over the South East Bay of Bengal and surrounding South Andaman Sea is expected to build into a depression on March 20 and a cyclonic storm on March 21. At a meeting held on Friday, Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain reviewed the administration's preparedness and asked all stakeholders to ensure that temporary camps set up to provide shelter to those being evacuated have provisions for food, water, and other basic amenities, according to a statement. In light of the bad weather, Narain also ordered that shipping services be discontinued immediately, and that no fishing boats be permitted to enter the sea. On March 20, most parts in the union territory could expect light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in a few places and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas, according to the weather forecast.

Key Points

• With Cyclone Asani expected to reach the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' shores, the archipelago's administration has been making preparations to deal with any eventualities, including the evacuation of people from low-lying areas, according to an official statement released today.

• On March 20, most parts in the union territory could expect light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in a few places and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas, according to the weather forecast.