Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has sped up evacuation of people from coastal areas and sent 288 rescue teams to vulnerable spots in 14 districts with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting Cyclone Dana’s landfall close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamra by October 24-25.
“The deep depression intensified further into cyclone storm at 5.30 am. It is moving in the northwest direction with a speed of 15km/hour. It is 520 km south-east of Paradeep… We are anticipating that it may further intensify into a severe cyclone storm by the morning of October 24. It is likely to cross North Odisha and West Bengal… the time of landfall is anticipated to be October 24 midnight to the early morning of October 25 and the anticipated speed is 100-110 km/hour and gusting of 220km/hour… Rainfall of 7-20 cm may occur… A red warning has been issued for October 24 and 25… Fishermen are advised not to venture till October 25th…” IMD Senior scientist Umashankar Das told ANI.
Storm surge of 1.0 to 2.0 m height above astronomical tide is also likely to inundate low-lying areas of Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore districts at the time of landfall. These three districts are also experience gale winds with speed of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph along with extremely heavy rainfall on October 24-25, according to the agency.
The state has already deployed 19 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF) teams, and 178 Fire Services teams, with 40 more teams sent to affected areas.
On Wednesday morning, the Indian Air Force airlifted 150 NDRF personnel and relief supplies to Bhubaneswar. One IL76 and AN 32 were flown in from Bathinda, Punjab.
Relying on its past experience, the government has identified multipurpose cyclone shelters, flood shelters, and other buildings to relocate nearly 10 lakh people from over 3,000 vulnerable villages and low-lying areas along the coastal belt which are likely to be affected by the cyclone with a mission to ensure zero casualty and minimum damage to property and infrastructure. “Priority will be given to shifting of pregnant women, children and aged persons first. Besides over 800 multipurpose cyclone shelters, the government has prepared 500 more temporary shelters using school and college buildings. We are ensuring all basic facilities, including cooked food, at the shelters,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari told reporters.
He added that around 8,647 pregnant women have been identified in the cyclone-affected areas and will be shifted to the nearby hospitals.
Approximately 10,60,336 people are likely to be evacuated before Cyclone Dana makes landfall early Friday,” PTI quoted a senior official from the Special Relief Commissioner.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has also deployed all senior ministers to supervise cyclone management in districts which are likely to be impact by the severe cyclonic storm. The two deputy chief ministers K V Singhdeo and Pravati Parida have been assigned Kendrapada and Puri districts respectively, Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain will oversee Jagatsinghpur district and Panchayatiraj and Higher Education ministers Rabi Nayak and Suraj Surjyabanshi have been put in charge of Balasore and Bhadrak respectively. Similarly Urban Development minister KC Mahapatra will be in Mayurbhanj, Transport Minister BB Jena in Ganjam, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan in Cuttack and Civil Supplies Minister KC Patra in Keonjhar.
The CM has also urged all MLAs to remain in their constituencies.
Senior IAS officers – K Sudarshan Chakravarthy, Trilochan Majhi, Balwant Singh, Vineet Bhardwaj, Yamini Sarangi and Samarth Verma – have also been deployed to oversee the rescue and relief operations in Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts respectively.
While educational institutions in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khurda, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts will remain closed till October 25 as a precautionary measure, the East Coast Railway has cancelled 178 trains.
Leaves of doctors have been cancelled and the district authorities have been directed to ensure adequate stocks of drugs, including diarrhoea and anti-venom injections.
