Bhubaneswar: Odisha has achieved its zero-casualty target during Cyclone Arnab, with no loss of life reported so far, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Wednesday.
Addressing the media after reviewing the cyclone situation at the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) control room here, Majhi said the state government had made elaborate preparations to tackle the cyclone, enabling the administration to manage the situation effectively.
The Chief Minister said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him several times before and during the cyclone to review preparedness measures. The Odisha government also remained in constant touch with the Andhra Pradesh government.
According to Majhi, 17 blocks across the state recorded rainfall exceeding 105 mm. Potangi in Koraput district received the highest rainfall of 188 mm, followed by Mohana in Gajapati district at 182.4 mm. Gajapati was the worst-affected district in terms of rainfall, he said.
A total of 313 response teams, comprising 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 244 Fire Service teams, have been deployed for emergency response.
As many as 43,827 people have been evacuated to 634 relief camps across eight districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati and Nuapada. Cooked food, dry rations, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies are being provided at the camps.
The cyclone preparedness measures also included shifting 2,245 pregnant women to nearby health centres, where 931 babies were safely delivered, the Chief Minister said.
The government also ensured the safe return of fishermen from the sea. All 19,143 boats that had ventured into the sea from Ganjam to Balasore have returned safely, achieving 100 per cent success in the operation, Majhi said.
The Chief Minister said two Deputy Chief Ministers, six Ministers and seven IAS officers had been assigned supervisory responsibilities for different districts to coordinate response measures.
He cautioned that waterlogging could occur in low-lying areas due to continued rainfall and said instructions had been issued to ensure adequate pumping arrangements for dewatering.
Earlier, SRC Rajesh Prabhakar Patil briefed the Chief Minister on the cyclone’s status and its impact on Odisha. Majhi also interacted with Deputy Chief Ministers and Ministers overseeing different districts to review rainfall, damage, river water levels and relief camp arrangements.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee and senior SRC office officials attended the review meeting.
