BHUBANESWAR: In a critical effort to address the imminent threat posed by a developing cyclonic storm, Odisha’s Minister of Revenue and Disaster Management, Suresh Pujari, briefed the media following a high-level meeting to assess the state’s preparedness. The meeting, chaired by the Minister and attended by Shri Deoranjan Kumar Singh, focused on coordinating response strategies across the state.
Minister Suresh Pujari announced that 250 large cyclone relief centres have been established in the state to accommodate evacuated individuals from vulnerable locations in the affected districts. Additionally, 500 temporary shelters, including schools and colleges, have been readied by the state administration for this purpose. The officials have conducted inspections at all 250 relief centres. Pujari informed the media that these shelters are furnished with ample supplies of food, essential medicines, water, and electricity. Furthermore, he mentioned that female police personnel will be stationed at the shelters to assist women residents evacuated from high-risk areas.
As part of the proactive measures, 14 districts, including Angul, Puri, Nayagarh, Khordha, and Cuttack, have been alerted and instructed to implement necessary preparedness measures to combat the impending cyclone. District authorities have been tasked with identifying vulnerable populations and habitations, with plans to evacuate them to safe shelters if required.
An action plan has been established for the deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and Fire Services. Currently, 51 ODRAF teams are actively working in vulnerable districts, complemented by 178 Fire Services teams already deployed and an additional 40 teams being positioned in critical areas. The NDRF has mobilized 20 teams, of which 19 are currently deployed and one remains in reserve. Furthermore, five NDRF teams have been airlifted from Bhatinda and are scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar by 10 PM tonight.
To ensure the safety of the vulnerable population, multipurpose cyclone shelters and flood shelters have been identified, and necessary provisions for food, drinking water, sanitation, and health facilities have been arranged for those who may need to evacuate. The Chief Secretary held a meeting on October 20 with concerned Collectors and department secretaries to ensure preparedness in essential sectors such as Energy, Health, Fisheries, and Agriculture. Following this, the Hon’ble Chief Minister convened a meeting on October 21, providing further instructions to the Collectors and department heads.
The Engineering Department has made advance arrangements for the clearance of road traffic post-cyclone, while all fishing boats along the Odisha coast are required to be safely berthed by 11 AM today. Authorities have mandated that no fishing boats venture into the sea until the evening of October 26. Additionally, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to provide a helicopter for relief and rescue operations.
In light of the cyclone warnings, all schools, colleges, universities, and Anganwadi centers in the affected districts will remain closed from October 23 to 25, and all government officials’ leaves have been canceled during this period. Senior officers have been deployed to districts to oversee search and rescue operations, with all three port authorities—Gopalpur, Paradip, and Dhamara— instructed to hoist emergency signal DC-I.
The situation in the Bay of Bengal continues to evolve, with the depression over East-central Bay of Bengal moving west-northwest at a speed of 6 km/h. As of 8:30 AM today, it was centered near latitude 15.5° N and longitude 91.0° E, approximately 700 km southeast of Paradip. It is projected to intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 23, with further strengthening expected as it continues to move northwest. The storm is likely to reach severe cyclonic strength by the morning of October 24, with wind speeds anticipated between 100-110 km/h, gusting to 120 km/h, as it approaches the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal between Puri and Sagar Island during the night of October 24 and morning of October 25.
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