BMC Cancels Muharram Holiday After Cyclone Alert

Bhubaneswar: Continuing its 24X7 vigil and steps towards the citizens’ safety and welfare, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday cancelled the holiday for Moharrum in the wake of the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (100 to 150 mm) in and around Khurda district and BMC area.

The IMD prediction was following a depression over West-Central and adjoining East-Central Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the coming hours, causing rainfall across West, North-West and South Odisha.

Since July this year, the civic body has cancelled four public holidays (including September 21) so far, to fight the water logging situation in the city and manning the Multi Agency Control Room in BMC with the help of other line departments like Odisha Fire Services, Public Works Department (PWD), Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO), Water Resources and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).

The Multi Agency Control Room has started operation at BMC in the city since August 13 for better coordination and control of urban flooding and de-watering of the water-logged areas as the operations to rescue affected areas needed coordinated efforts from all line departments operating across the city.

BMC Deputy Commissioner (Public Relations and Communication) Srimanta Mishra said on Thursday that five complaints were received through online and the storm water control room.

While four online complaints were received through the Bhubaneswar Operations Centre, the Storm Water Control Room received one complaint.

While citizens have been encouraged to file online complaints through 18003450061, the Storm Water Control Room at BMC received complaints on 0674-2432281. Today’s Multi Agency 24X7 Control Room, which started at 6 am in the morning and had people from other line departments, BMC Drainage Division and BMC administrative staff.

As many as 13 teams across 13 sub-zones were deployed to monitor the situation across the city in 67 wards. Team BMC’s 40 engineers were on high alert to manage any kind of situation due to high rainfall.

Also Read: Severe Waterlogging In Bhubaneswar

A total of seven Fire Services Pumps were deployed at six locations like, Ratna Villa, Paika Nagar, Gouri Nagar, Gouri Garden, Jaydev Vihar (Corporation Bank) and Gouri Shankar English Medium School. In Gouri Garden two pumps were deployed.

Similarly, six BMC pumps were deployed at six locations like in Mallick Complex, Paika Nagar, Nilakantheswar Temple, Garage Chhak Sai Temple, Nuagaon Main Road and Pahala-Rudrapur