Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Fire and Emergency Services department received 173 calls related to road blockages caused by fallen trees amid Cyclone Arnab, with operations completed at 102 locations and work underway at 71 others, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Inspector General of Fire and Emergency Services and Home Guards Umashankar Dash said 228 teams of the department were on alert and responding to incidents reported from different parts of the state.
“Of the 173 calls received between early morning and noon, we have cleared roads at 102 locations, while work is underway at the remaining 71 locations. We will clear them soon,” Dash told reporters.
The roads cleared so far were mainly in Gajapati, Ganjam and Rayagada districts, which were among the areas affected by the cyclone, he said.
Dash said there had been no reports of damage to houses due to strong winds, while rainfall was occurring in several areas. The department had not received any information about waterlogging, he added.
A fire services team was also deployed in the Nandan Vihar area of Bhubaneswar to carry out clearance operations, the official said.
“Our teams are responding as soon as information is received and are being sent to the affected locations. We are trying to complete operations within an hour of reaching the site,” he said.
The department was deploying teams according to the scale of the obstruction, with two to three teams being sent to locations where large trees had fallen, Dash said.
A landslide was also reported at one location in Gajapati district, he said, adding that teams were being kept mobile and deployed wherever required.
“There is no location where the road has been completely blocked, and traffic movement has continued,” Dash said.
The department was monitoring the situation and would continue clearance operations based on reports received from affected areas, he added.
