Lightning Arrestor Systems To Be Installed In Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelters In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to install lightning arrestor systems in all multi-purpose cyclone shelters (MCS) in the state for the safety of the people during the natural calamities.

This was decided at the State Executive Committee meeting constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, presided over by chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday.

The meeting revealed that as many as 814 Multi-purpose Cyclone/ Flood Shelter buildings have been constructed by Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) under different sources of funding including Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF), Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), State Plan, World Bank finance to provide safe shelter to people during severe disasters. The meeting decided to hand over the said buildings to the respective Blocks for maintenance by the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water department.

The Committee reviewed the progress of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) being implemented in the state under World Bank assistance under which various structural measures were taken up by OSDMA. All 154 MCS, 143 all-weather connecting roads with a total length of 218.500 km and 12 saline embankments with a length of 57.577 km have been completed.

Besides, of 162 MCS and 100 all-weather connectivity roads (170.036 km) taken up under NCRMP-additional financing, work on 151 MCS and 99 roads (168.00 km) have been completed. The remaining are likely to be completed by August 2018.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, Special Relief Commissioner (DRC) and Managing Director, OSDMA, Bishnupada Sethi said that the Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) for Last Mile Connectivity under the NCRMP is being implemented in 22 blocks under the six coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapdra, Puri and Ganjam.

This apart, five layers of communication system— Satellite-Based Mobile Data Voice Terminals (SBMDVT), Digital Mobile Radio (DMR), Mass Messaging System (group based and location-based alert system), Alert Siren System (ASS) and Universal Communication Interface (UCI) are being set up under the project.

The work on all the components of the project has almost come to an end except the sub-component ‘Location Based Alert System’ of the Mass Messaging System and integration of radio pack with the alert siren system. The project is likely to be operationalized by July 31 this year, Sethy added.

He further said OSDMA has initiated the process for setting up 314 Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and about 6000 Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) covering the entire state for which Rs.94.22 crore has been sanctioned under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

Sethy also informed that a State Disaster Management Cell (SDMC) is functioning in OSDMA which is continuously monitoring the drought situations based on different scientific parameters as per the Drought Management Manual-2016.

Among others, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Asit Kumar Tripathy, Director General of Police Dr RP Sharma, secretaries of different departments and other senior officers were present.