Bhubaneswar/Gajapati: As many as 10,200 people from 147 cyclone-vulnerable areas of Gajapati district have been evacuated to cyclone shelters as the district administration steps up preparedness to deal with the possible impact of severe cyclonic storm Arnab.
The preparedness measures were reviewed at a high-level meeting chaired by Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services, and Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj at the Gajapati Collector’s office on Tuesday.
Gajapati Collector Akshay Sunil Agrawal and other senior district officials attended the meeting, while block- and sub-divisional-level officers participated virtually.
The Minister stressed the state government’s ‘zero casualty’ target and reviewed evacuation measures, shelter arrangements and other emergency response mechanisms.
Nearly 200 cyclone shelters are available in the district. Arrangements have been made for dry food, cooked meals, drinking water, emergency medical kits, electricity and other essential facilities at the shelters. Pregnant women have been shifted to ‘Maa Ghar’ to ensure their safety.
All schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in the district will remain closed for students for three days, from October 27 to 29, as a precautionary measure.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued to officials concerned, while senior district officers have been deployed in cyclone-vulnerable areas to oversee preparedness and coordinate response measures.
The Minister said the district administration had put in place the necessary arrangements, from evacuating vulnerable people to ensuring their safe stay in shelters. He underscored the need to give special attention to the safety of children and pregnant women.
“Zero casualty is our target. People’s safety along with dealing with the cyclone is our priority,” Suraj said.
The Minister also inspected cyclone shelters in the district and reviewed the facilities being provided to people evacuated from vulnerable areas.
