Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Wednesday reviewed the state’s preparedness to deal with the impact of cyclone ‘Arnab’, ongoing emergency response measures and post-disaster restoration and rehabilitation work at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC).
SRC Rajesh Prabhakar Patil briefed the Chief Secretary on the precautionary measures being undertaken in view of heavy rainfall and other possible impacts of the cyclone.
The state government has prioritised its ‘Zero Casualty’ mission, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari directly monitoring the situation, officials said.
As part of the preparedness measures, 31,255 people have been evacuated from eight affected districts and accommodated in 324 operational shelters. A total of 2,067 shelters, including 141 permanent and 1,926 temporary facilities, have been kept ready across the state.
Of the 4,139 identified pregnant women in vulnerable areas, 2,245 have been shifted to nearby hospitals and health centres as a precautionary measure.
The government has also cancelled holidays for its employees, while district control rooms are functioning round the clock. Schools and Anganwadi centres in affected areas have been directed to remain closed.
A total of 19,143 fishing boats, including 11,955 from the sea and 7,188 from Chilika Lake, have been brought safely ashore.
The state has deployed 62 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 244 fire service teams to manage emergencies. The equipment mobilised includes 1,510 power chain-saws, 225 towing tenders, 110 boats, 135 water drainage pumps and 225 tower lights.
The government has sanctioned ₹19 crore in relief assistance for eight affected districts, with ₹5 crore allocated to Ganjam and ₹2 crore each to Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal.
According to rainfall data available until 8.30 am on Wednesday, the state recorded an average of 23.9 mm rainfall in the preceding 24 hours. More than 100 mm rainfall was reported in 14 blocks and three urban areas.
Pottangi block in Koraput district recorded the highest rainfall at 188 mm, followed by Mohana in Gajapati (182.4 mm), Ganjam block (161.4 mm), Chhatrapur (154.6 mm) and Similiguda (143.1 mm).
Among districts, Gajapati recorded the highest average rainfall at 121.2 mm, followed by Ganjam (83.1 mm), Koraput (61 mm) and Puri (54.2 mm).
The government has ensured adequate stocks of flattened rice, jaggery, rice, biscuits, polythene sheets and anti-snake venom to meet emergency requirements.
Power restoration is also underway in cyclone-affected areas. Under the jurisdiction of Tata Power Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL), electricity supply has been restored to 13,20,705 of the 20,19,124 affected consumers, accounting for 65.41 per cent.
Gajapati recorded the highest restoration rate at 81.16 per cent, followed by Malkangiri at 71.61 per cent.
The review focused on ensuring public safety, expediting restoration of essential services and undertaking relief and rehabilitation measures in the affected districts.
