Will Bhubaneswar Face The Wrath Of Cyclone Yaas? Saving Lives Is Priority, Says BMC

Bhubaneswar: As the cyclone Yaas gains strength and is predicted to make a landfall on May 26 in coastal areas of the Odisha, the capital city of Bhubaneswar will experience heavy rainfall but is likely to be spared of major damages to infrastructure and trees.

The Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre on the day issued an orange alert, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, for Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Mayurbhanj and Jajpur districts.

The city will experience rainfall of 12 cm to 20 cm and wind speed of 60 kmph gusting up to 70 or 80 kmph, the Met office stated.

The impact, however, will be far less than Fani of 2019 when wind speed of 200 kmph stole the city of its green cover and uprooted power poles leaving the capital in darkness for nearly a week.

However, the citizens and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation are prepared to face the nature’s wrath.

As a first step to ensure safety of all forms of life, the advertisers have been asked to take down big hoardings.

Moreover, in view of the lockdown people are will remain indoors and officer-goers have been asked to remain alert and not move out during the peak hours.

The major challenge before the administration is water-logging in several areas of the city. To tackle this the BMC has positioned pump sets in vulnerable areas.

BMC officials said fire pumps are about 50% of total pumps.

Dry food like 84 quintal of chuda (flattened rice), 14 quintal jaggery and biscuits have been stocked

JCB and tractors allotted to zones based on demand

Total 72 shelters identified and kept ready in all the 3 zones of Bhubaneswar

Shelters are mostly in schools with water and toilet facilities

WATCO has set up temporary tanks in each shelters

BMC teams comprising an engineer, community organiser, Ward officer, sanitation workers, fire and restoration personnel as well as health, women and child development are keeping constant track of the developments in respective areas assigned to them.

Other departments like Commissionerate Police and TPCODL are also in action.

Additional Commissioner of BMC and Zonal Deputy Commissioners reviewed the facilities at cyclone shelters to ensure full-proof preparedness.