BHUBANESWAR: The State government on Friday asked the collectors of coastal districts to be prepared with more cyclone shelters to maintain safe distance between affected people who will be shifted to these facilities as the system in the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm on May 24.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena who reviewed the preparedness at a high level meeting said that the collectors have been asked to ensure that nobody stays back in asbestos, thatched or any temporary house during the cyclone. He said that more cyclone shelters will be required in view of the Covid guideline on social distancing. He said that evacuation strategy will be worked out by involving the panchayat functionaries.
The SRC said ODRAF, NDRF and Fire Service personnel have been sent to vulnerable areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack and Gajapati districts and kept in readiness to carry out rescue operation. The five NDRF teams sent to Gujarat for rescue operation in the cyclone-hit areas will be returning to the State and deployed in the vulnerable pockets, he said.
Stating that the government is fully prepared to launch rescue operations if the need arises, Jena said that 17 NDRF, around 100 fire services and 20 ODRAF teams will be deployed in vulnerable places. The SRC said local fishermen have been told not to venture into the deep sea and those in the deep sea have been asked to return to the coast by Saturday. Besides, some fishing trawlers have been brought to the coast by the Coast Guard personnel.
He said that as it is a ban period, no fishing trawler is there in the deep sea. However, within ten miles, 39 fishermen have been identified and steps are being taken to bring them by Saturday evening. In view of the possible damage in the urban areas, Jena said high-mast lights in all urban localities will be brought down within the next 24 hours.
“Besides, the advertising agencies have been told to remove hoardings and display boards by May 24 failing which, they will be forcibly removed by the civic body authorities,” he added. Chief secretary SK Mohapatra also reviewed the situation at a high level meeting. The SRC informed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will also review the preparedness for the cyclone soon.