Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has deployed 225 teams of fire service personnel, along with more than 100 boats and specialised vehicles, in vulnerable districts as part of its preparedness measures ahead of cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’, which is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, an official said on Monday.
Inspector General of Fire and Emergency Services and Home Guards, Dr Umashankar Dash, said the department had stepped up preparedness measures in vulnerable areas to mitigate the possible impact of strong winds, heavy rainfall and landslides.
The department has identified vulnerable districts in southern Odisha for focused deployment of personnel and equipment, Dash said, adding that 225 teams had been mobilised to carry out rescue and relief operations if required.
“We are expecting strong winds, heavy rainfall and possible landslides in some districts of southern Odisha. To mitigate these risks, we are deploying 225 teams of Fire Service personnel, along with equipment and highly sophisticated vehicles. More than 100 boats are also being deployed in various areas,” Dash said.
A state-level command centre is operating round the clock to monitor the situation and coordinate rescue operations, the senior official said.
Additional manpower, equipment and vehicles would be deployed in vulnerable areas if the situation warranted, he added.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm may trigger extremely heavy rainfall in Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam districts for two days from October 28.
The districts may also experience gusty surface winds reaching speeds of up to 80 kmph, the weather office said.
The IMD has issued a red warning for the five districts in southern Odisha in view of the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall.
Several other districts, including Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh, are also likely to receive heavy rainfall until October 30.
The authorities are closely monitoring the evolving weather situation and have intensified preparedness measures to ensure a prompt response to any emergency, officials said.
