Bhubaneswar: At least 2,394 people have been evacuated to cyclone shelters in Odisha’s Kandhamala district as the administration stepped up precautionary measures in view of the severe cyclonic storm ‘Murasu’, which is moving towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, officials said on Monday.
The evacuees include 848 men, 1,030 women and 450 children, who have been shifted to 35 permanent cyclone shelters across the district. All the shelters have been made operational to accommodate people in case of adverse weather conditions, they said.
One Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team has been deployed in the district, while two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been stationed at G Udayagiri and Raikia.
Seven fire service teams have also been deployed in vulnerable blocks, including five at G Udayagiri and two at Raikia. Another nine fire service teams have been kept on standby across the district to deal with any emergency.
As many as 146 pregnant women have also been shifted to safer locations as part of the precautionary measures.
Senior officials have been deployed at the block and gram panchayat levels to oversee preparedness and emergency response operations. Sub-Collectors and Additional District Magistrates have also been assigned responsibilities to coordinate the arrangements.
The district administration has undertaken advance evacuation and preparedness measures in 18 gram panchayats and 62 vulnerable habitations.
Essential facilities, including medicines, electricity, safe drinking water, toilets and free cooked meals, have been ensured at all operational cyclone shelters, officials said.
A total of 37 JCB machines have been deployed across different blocks to clear possible road blockages and restore normal traffic movement.
Public awareness campaigns are being conducted through public address systems to alert residents about the impending weather conditions.
Adequate arrangements have also been made for standby generators, water tankers and sufficient stocks of essential commodities across all 12 blocks.
The district recorded an average rainfall of 7.58 mm till 8 am on November 2. No significant impact of strong winds was reported in the district till then.
The district control room is operational to monitor the situation and coordinate preparedness and response measures.
