Odisha readies 1.7K cyclone shelters as Arnab nears

BHUBANESWAR: With Cyclone Arnab expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, the Odisha government has put its disaster management machinery on high alert and decided on a plan of need-based evacuation from vulnerable pockets.The state government has not released an official figure on the total number of people who have been identified to be shifted to cyclone shelters. Evacuation will be carried out in a targeted manner as per local vulnerability assessment and the situation will be reviewed continuously as the system approaches the coast, sources added.

However, more than 3,000 pregnant women have been identified and are likely to be shifted to safer locations ahead of the cyclone to ensure their safety and access to medical care. Schools and colleges in the five vulnerable districts have been closed on October 28–29.Special relief commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said the state has readied over 1,700 cyclone shelters, including 135 permanent shelters and around 1,600 temporary shelters in schools, community halls and other safe buildings.The Centre also reviewed Odisha’s preparedness to deal with the cyclone. During the meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) presided over by cabinet secretary TV Somanathan, chief secretary Anu Garg informed that senior officers have been deployed in the southern districts to oversee preparedness and coordinate response measures.The rainfall intensity is expected to be at its peak on Wednesday and extremely heavy showers of 204.5 mm or more may occur at isolated places in Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam districts. Strong wind speeds reaching 50 kmph to 60 kmph and gusting up to 70 kmph are also likely to prevail in the above five districts.

The system is also likely to trigger widespread light to moderate rains in the state in the next four days till Friday.

Cyclone Arnab is expected to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong winds in Odisha in the next three days. Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to occur in Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam and Puri districts on Tuesday, the IMD said.

Rescue teams comprising ODRAF, NDRF and Fire Services personnel have been pre-positioned in the southern districts. Control rooms at the state and district level are functioning round-the-clock and in constant touch with the IMD and the SRC’s office.