Bhubaneswar: As many as 1,653 villages, nine towns, and 26 wards across 38 blocks in 11 districts are likely to be affected by Cyclone ‘Dana’, informed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after reviewing the cyclone preparedness with the Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Khurda, and Jajpur at Lok Seva Bhavan.
Majhi said that a total of 362,000 people are targeted for evacuation from vulnerable areas, with over 3 lakh already safely shifted to cyclone shelters as of 11 AM today. The Chief Minister aims to achieve 100% evacuation within hours. Additionally, 2,338 pregnant women have been moved to hospitals and Maa Gruha from sensitive areas.
The government has operationalized 7,285 shelters, including 842 permanent and 6,443 temporary ones, across the affected districts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation, assuring necessary support, Majhi said.
Experienced IAS officers have been deployed to expedite evacuation, while nine state cabinet ministers oversee vulnerable districts.
In a discussion with the District Magistrates today, the Chief Minister directed them to focus on 100% evacuation, zero casualty, uninterrupted electricity service in hospitals, adequate supply of kerosene, petrol, diesel in the affected areas, provision of cooked food to the cyclone shelters and clean toilets.
19 NDRF, 51 ODRAF, and 220 fire brigade teams are on standby, along with 157 police platoons, 92 medical teams, and 58 veterinary teams. The Chief Minister urges citizens to keep pets loose. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, and other senior officers attended the meeting, where Collectors briefed the CM via video conference.
