Cyclone ‘Dana’: Odisha Seeks 10 Additional NDRF Teams; 20 ODRAF Teams Dispatched To 10 Dists

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has dispatched 20 ODRAF teams to districts, which are likely to be impacted by the possible Cyclone ‘Dana’.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy strong wind along with heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal and adjoining districts of Odisha from October 23.

The ODRAF teams have been directed to report at the District Emergency Offices by October 22 for Search and Rescue (SAR) duty relating to evacuation, relief life clearance and flash flood, according to an official communique from office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC).

The Additional SRC has sought assistance from the Additional Secretary of the Disaster Management Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, requesting ten additional NDRF teams from outside the state to be deployed in Odisha for SAR duty.

Notably, the NDRF has kept 14 teams in West Bengal and 11 teams in Odisha on standby.

Meanwhile, the state government is readying around 800 cyclone shelters and 500 temporary shelters, which include schools and colleges, for people who need to be evacuated from high-risk areas. “A total of 250 multipurpose cyclone shelters centres have already been kept ready with necessary facilities to accommodate people when they are evacuated from vulnerable areas.  The health department has also prepared a list of pregnant women. Women, children, and the elderly are being advised to move to safer locations,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Tuesday.

These centres are stocked with food, water and medicine. Women police will also be deployed at these shelters.

Pujari further said that a coordination meeting has already been held with the district Collectors and preparedness for the cyclone will be reviewed further. “We have ensured adequate stock of rations, polythene sheets, and other essential materials. A red alert has been issued at all ports, and fishermen have returned safely. We were tracking seven trawlers, and their return is now in progress. The  government is working in mission mode to ensure zero casualties,” he added.

Besides government employees, leaves of all the doctors have been cancelled in view of the impending cyclone. “Shifting of pregnant women to nearby health centres have started,” Health Services Director Bijay Mohapatra said, adding that directives have been issued to keep anti snake venom injection and diarrhoea medicines.

Arrangements have been made to ensure round-the-clock power supply to hospitals, while doctors will provide treatment in affected areas in small groups. Teams will also visit cyclone shelters. Monitoring is being done from block level to state level, he added.

Hemanta Sharma, Principal Secretary of Odisha’s Department of Energy, said that energy grids and emergency transmission towers in the districts expected to be affected by Cyclone Dana are being monitored. “All preparations are going on. Our electricity distribution companies in Baleswar, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, and Cuttack have alerted their executive engineers and SDPOs and set up a control room. Manpower has been arranged to repair and restore any kind of damage,” he told ANI.