Bhubaneswar: With cyclone Arnab set to hit Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, the Odisha government has set up over 1,735 cyclone shelters and released Rs 19 crore for relief operations as part of measures to deal with the storm.
Officials said the state government has planned need-based evacuations from vulnerable low-lying areas in southern districts on Tuesday and imposed restrictions on movement in landslide-prone zones in view of the forecast of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and squally winds.
As many as 135 permanent cyclone shelters and around 1,600 temporary shelters have been prepared to accommodate people from vulnerable areas, according to Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.
Of the Rs 19 crore released for relief operations, Ganjam district has been allocated Rs 5 crore, while Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts have received Rs 2 crore each.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and squally winds across southern Odisha from Tuesday, prompting the administration to step up precautionary measures.
Rescue teams comprising personnel from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire Services have been pre-positioned in the southern districts to respond to emergencies.
Control rooms at the state and district levels are functioning round the clock and maintaining constant communication with the IMD and the SRC’s office.
The SRC has directed district collectors to take all necessary measures to ensure zero casualties during the cyclone-related operations. He also asked them to prioritise the evacuation of pregnant women, elderly persons, children and persons with disabilities from vulnerable areas.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea until the cyclone passes.
Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari, who reviewed the preparedness measures, said all districts had been alerted to the possible impact of the weather system.
Heavy rain in the upper catchment areas of rivers in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand could trigger flash floods and waterlogging in western and northern Odisha, while southern districts were likely to receive heavy rainfall, he said.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg informed the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) that the state had activated cyclone shelters, evacuation plans, control rooms and disaster-response teams.
At a preparedness meeting of the committee on Monday, chaired by Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan, Garg said the state administration was taking necessary steps to minimise the impact of the approaching cyclone.
Around 3,000 women in the advanced stages of pregnancy would be shifted to hospitals or safer locations as a precautionary measure, she said.
The state government is coordinating with district administrations and disaster-response agencies to ensure timely evacuations and the availability of essential relief measures in vulnerable areas.