Cyclone Yaas: Odisha Govt Revs Up Measures In Coastal Districts

Bhubaneswar: With the low pressure over east-central Bay of Bengal very likely to concentrate into a very severe cyclonic storm in the next 48 hours, the Odisha government on Saturday warned the coastal districts to remain on high alert.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena told mediapersons here that following the advice of India Meteorological Department (IMD), fishermen who had gone out for deep-sea fishing have been safely brought back to the coast. This has been confirmed by coastal district collectors as well as Indian Coast Guard authorities.

The SRC also spelt out the following measures taken by the government:

— Farmers are requested to take care of the standing crops and take necessary steps to evacuate excess rainwater from their field. Besides, they are requested to keep the harvested crops in a safe place and keep them properly covered.

— Adequate arrangements have been made to shift the people living in the low-lying areas to the cyclone shelters and temporary cyclone shelters. The sarpanchs, ward members, panchayat representatives and Mission Shakti members have been asked to ensure basic amenities in these shelters.

— All inter-agency groups comprising the Unicef, UNDP, top NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs) have assured all possible help to the district administrations in the evacuation, shelter management and post-cyclone restoration and rehabilitation.

— To ensure seamless production and refilling of oxygen cylinders required for the COVID-19 patients, the Industries Department has prepared a special action plan in consultation with the oxygen manufacturers and refilling agencies.

— Steps are being taken to ensure adequate stock of oxygen cylinders in each district COVID hospital and COVID care centres.

— Arrangements have been made for alternate generator sets and drinking water supply in each district COVID hospital and COVID care centres (CCCs). Similar arrangements are being done in all sub-divisional government hospitals.

— Steps being taken by district administrations, Women and Child Development Department and the Health and Family Welfare Department to admit pregnant women, whose expected delivery is in the next two weeks, to government hospitals where they will be taken care of by doctors.

— People living in low-lying areas are requested to immediately shift their family members to cyclone shelters after getting information from the district administration.

— People in all cyclone shelters will be provided with masks and arrangements will be made to conduct health check-ups by rapid response teams (RRTs). If any person tests COVID positive, he/she will be shifted to the nearest CCC or the COVID hospital.

— Deployment of ODRAF, NDRF and Fire Service personnel in vulnerable areas will leave for their designated areas from Sunday morning.

— The state has 17 NDRF teams, 20 ODRAF teams, around 150 Fire Service teams and tree-cutting staff of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC); the number of personnel to be deployed will be decided today.

— Secretaries of Water Resources, Housing and Urban Development and Works Departments are in talks with district administrations for mobilization of staff.

— Department of Telecom, led by the IT secretary, is trying to ensure minimum inconvenience in the mobile network due to the cyclone.

— In case any network is down, the other telecom companies will work together as an intra-circle unit and ensure people can call any number.

— The Energy Department has started mobilizing necessary materials and manpower to vulnerable areas. It has also roped in contractors to restore power within the shortest possible time.