Odisha Collectors asked to stay alert for possible cyclonic storm

Bhubaneswar: Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Odisha has directed Collectors of 18 districts to undertake all preparedness measures in advance to reduce impacts of the possible cyclonic storm over Bay of Bengal (BoB).

In a letter, the SRC asked Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts to undertake the following measures immediately on a priority basis.

1.  District Emergency, Operation Centre and Control Rooms of other offices must operate round the clock with adequate manpower. Please see that all communication equipment like phone, fax, etc are in working condition. You may check the satellite phones provided and make test calls. Besides the satellite phone, digital mobile radio communication systems have been established in six coastal districts under the EWDS project. Please make use of those communication systems also.
2. Identifying all vulnerable people and shifting them to safe shelters are the first priority. Prepare a detailed evacuation plan for (a) people living in kutcha houses or living near the coast or in low lying areas and (b) other vulnerable Persons including old, PwDs, women and children to designated geo-tagged shelter buildings.
3. All safe shelter buildings including permanent and temporary may be identified. All designated shelter buildings should be geo-tagged.
4. A team comprising three local officials (two male and one woman (such as ASHA/AWW/lady teacher/lady Constable/Home guard etc) may be kept in charge of each shelter. This exercise may be completed by 6/5/22. Information on identified safe shelter building indicating latitude and longitude, name of the officials kept in charge and mobile number of such team/ officials must be furnished to the undersigned.
5. Safe pucca school buildings/ public buildings in the vulnerable areas may also be identified as temporary shelters as per requirement.
6. All cyclone and flood shelters should be immediately checked by local BDO/ Tahsildar. They should check water supply, functional toile, generator, inflatable tower light, mechanical cutters and other equipment available in shelters.
7. As the power supply is cut off during the peak period of the cyclone, all offices should make the, backup power arrangement for that period. Generators available in the different offices including health institutions should be immediately checked and adequate fuel stored.
8. Regular IMD forecast/ warnings may be watched.

The SRC directed the Collectors to send a compliance report on the recommended measures with detailed information on arrangements made in their respective districts by May 6.

Hours after the cyclonic circulation formed over South Andaman Sea and neighbourhood, India Meteorological Department (IMD) today said a low pressure area is likely to form over the same region around May 6. It is very likely to move north-westwards and gradually intensify into a Deep Depression in subsequent 48 hours.