Evacuate the vulnerable, provide cooked food, Odisha CM directs officials

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, July 21:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today directed administrations in the three flood affected districts of Keonjhar, Bhadrak and Jajpur to shift people from low lying areas to safer places and provide them free cooked food wherever necessary.

The Chief Minister also directed officials of the Water Resources department to keep a close watch on vulnerable portions of river embankments in these districts and ordered deployment of mobile patrolling teams to protect the embankments.

The directions came during a high level review meeting, the second in the day, chaired by Patnaik this evening.

Anandpur in Keonjhar district is already in the grip of floods with the water level in the Baitarani flowing over the danger mark this morning while Bhadrak and Jajpur are under imminent threat of floods with more rains predicted in the next 48 hours.

Stressing the need to ensure provision of safe drinking water in the affected areas and to remain on alert to prevent any outbreak of diseases due to consumption of contaminated water in these areas, the chief minister directed the Urban Development, Rural Development and Health departments to keep a watch on the twin issues.

Patnaik asked the Animal Husbandry department to make arrangements for provision of fodder for cattle in the affected areas after consultations with the district collectors.

It was informed at the meeting that sufficient quantities of food stuff had already been stocked in remote areas of affected regions while ODRAF, NDRF and Fire department personnel had been rushed to the affected areas with boats and rescue equipment.

Chief Minister ordered concerned district collectors to take immediate steps to provide necessary assistance to the affected people after flood waters recede after conducting estimate of damages.

The meeting was attended by Revenue minister Bijoyshree Routray, chief secretary, development commissioner, SRC and principal secretaries of the concerned departments.