Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has put its disaster response machinery on high alert to deal with the possible impact of cyclone Murasu, even as rescue, relief and restoration operations continue in districts battered by cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said on Monday.
The Minister gave the assurance after chairing a high-level review meeting at the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office at Rajiv Bhawan here, attended by Additional Chief Secretary Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee and SRC Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.
Pujari said the government was fully prepared to tackle the impending cyclone and urged people not to panic but remain alert and follow official advisories.
According to the latest assessment discussed at the meeting, cyclone Murasu has intensified into a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal. Wind speeds of 100-110 kmph are likely at the time of landfall. Its possible impact is expected across several districts of Odisha, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Puri.
Meanwhile, cyclone Arnab and the associated heavy rainfall have caused extensive damage, particularly in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.
According to official estimates, 488 gram panchayats and 2,137 villages across 41 blocks in the three districts have been affected. Besides, 307 wards in 23 urban areas have reported the impact, affecting a total of 2,10,920 people.
As many as 1,41,797 people, including 579 pregnant women, have been evacuated to safer locations. Three persons have lost their lives in Ganjam district due to the disaster.
Relief operations are underway, with rice, flattened rice, jaggery and cattle feed being distributed in relief camps. The administration has also distributed 5,458 polythene sheets among affected families.
Road restoration is progressing on a war footing in the affected districts. In Ganjam, landslide debris has been cleared at 13 locations in Kukudakhandi and Patrapur blocks, while work is continuing at eight other locations. A total of 124 road breaches across 14 blocks have been closed, with restoration underway at 42 more locations. Repair work on 186 damaged roads is also in progress.
In Gajapati, debris has been cleared from 19 roads across six blocks, while vehicular movement has resumed on five roads affected by waterlogging. Eleven damaged roads have been repaired, with temporary restoration underway on another road in Gosani block.
In Kandhamal, 15 of the 31 road breaches across three blocks have been closed, while work on the remaining 16 is underway. Repairs have been completed on seven damaged roads, with work continuing on 31 others. In Rayagada, landslide debris has been cleared from 15 locations on roads in Gunupur.
Power restoration has also reached its final stage. TPSODL has restored electricity to 17,72,028 of the 17,88,942 affected consumers, achieving 99.05 per cent restoration. All 46 affected 33-kV feeders, 130 primary substations and 658 affected 11-kV feeders have been restored. Of the 56,706 damaged distribution transformers, 56,358 have been repaired.
Drinking water supply restoration is another priority. Of the 45,722 affected tube wells in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal, 4,475 have been restored and disinfected. Of the 393 affected rural piped water supply schemes, 247 have been restored.
The administration has deployed 235 water tankers, 80 tractor-mounted Sintex tanks and 84 generator sets. Nine mobile water treatment units have been deployed in Ganjam and Kandhamal. Around 4.22 lakh packaged water bottles and 3.18 lakh water pouches have been distributed. Additional tankers and mobile treatment units have been arranged for Berhampur Municipal Corporation and Aska Municipality.
The Health Department has deployed Rapid Response Teams and mobile medical units to prevent and tackle outbreaks of diarrhoea, malaria and dengue in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, extensive disaster response forces have been positioned across vulnerable districts. Ganjam has the largest deployment, with 32 ODRAF and three NDRF teams, followed by Gajapati with nine ODRAF and one NDRF team. Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri have three ODRAF and one NDRF team each, while Kandhamal has four ODRAF and two NDRF teams. Three additional teams have been deployed in Nabarangpur.
Central teams have also arrived to assess the damage and are scheduled to visit Ganjam and Gajapati districts to review the situation.
The government has appealed to people in vulnerable areas to shift to designated relief centres, nearby schools or colleges. ASHA and Anganwadi workers are conducting awareness drives to ensure people follow safety instructions.
Pujari expressed hope that, with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Odisha would experience a relatively limited impact from the second cyclone.
