Bhubaneswar: Gajapati is the only landslide-prone district in Odisha, Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed the Assembly on Thursday replying to a question asked by Lakshmipur MLA Pabitra Saunta.
According to the minister, 129 possible landslide-prone areas have been identified in Gajapati district so far.
He further said that continuous coordination meetings between various departments, IMD and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala are being held to reduce landslides in Gajapati. Moreover, an agreement has been signed between the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to undertake a survey in the district in this regard.
Pujari said that the State Emergency Operation Center (SEOC) working towards disaster management and early weather forecast in Odisha.
Referring to another question, Pujari told the House that as many as 14 districts in Odisha are at risk of earthquake. These districts include Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. They are categorised as moderately seismic-prone areas (zone III).