Odisha Collectors asked to be ready for possible flood, landslide in wake of heavy rain forecast

Bhubaneswar: In view of the IMD’s forecast about extremely heavy rainfall activity in many parts of Odisha from June 10 to 14, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena asked District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to set up round the clock control rooms to deal with flood and possible landslide in hilly areas.

In a letter, the SRC directed the District Collectors and Municipal commissioners take following precautionary measure keeping in view the weathermen prediction to prevent any damage to life and property:

1. The Control Rooms of all the offices dealing with flood/ disaster management must operate round the clock with adequate manpower. It must be under charge of a responsible officer on 24×7 basis.

2. The field level functionaries to be in readiness to meet any eventuality including possibility of landslides in hilly areas. District administrations of land slide prone districts are to take special precautionary measures to prevent damage and to make arrangement for evacuating people from vulnerable areas, if required.

3. All cyclone and flood shelters should be kept in readiness in all respect to evacuate people from in kutcha houses/hut and low-lying areas.

4. The engineers in charge may keep close watch over the embankments especially weak/vulnerable points in rivers/ canals.

5. Flood fighting materials may be kept ready at strategic places and immediate action may be taken to prevent any breach or to close the breach, damage of roads, if any.

6. Immediate steps are to be taken to clear the drainage channels for free flow of flood/ rain water.

7. Urban Local Bodies are instructed to make advance arrangements for dewatering from the areas likely to face water logging.

8. Local Fire personnel may be instructed to be in readiness with boat and other equipment for search, rescue and relief operation, as and when required.

9. Necessary traffic movement may be restricted in vulnerable points like breach areas.

10. Evacuating people during COVID-19 pandemic poses great challenge. If evacuation is required, social distancing, use of masks covering mouth and nose may be ensured during evacuation and sheltering people.

11. Cooked food through free kitchen, safe drinking water, lighting, health & sanitation facilities must be arranged for evacuated people housed in shelters.

12. Necessary arrangement may be made to stock adequate food stuff like rice, chuda, gud, etc. for the people affected due to possible flood.

13. Fishermen may be advised not to venture into deep sea from June 11 to 14. Whoever in deep sea area are advised to return to the coast by June 10 evening.

14. Necessary steps may be taken to advice farmers for protecting their standing crops

15. Steps should be taken to provide temporary shelter materials (polythene sheet) to the households, whose houses will damage in flood/ heavy rain.

16. Mobile health and veterinary teams may be organised in advance and kept in readiness for deployment in the affected areas. Adequate feed & fodder should be arranged for the animal population.

17. Necessary steps should be taken for prompt updation of daily rainfall report.

18. Arrangements for immediate restoration of essential services like power, telecommunication, roads, etc.

19. Local Police may be instructed to take steps to restrict the movement of people in flood risk roads/ areas.

Worth mentioning, the IMD has forecasted under the influence of low pressure likely to be formed over North Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood around June 11, 2021, widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy rainfall very likely to occur over large number of districts of Odisha during June 10 to 14.