Odisha on high alert as Cyclone Montha nears; over 3,000 evacuated

Bhubaneswar, Oct 27 (IANS) The Odisha government on Monday placed its entire administrative machinery on high alert to tackle the possible impact of Cyclone Montha, which is expected to make landfall between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, on the evening or night of October 28.

Senior officials of key departments, including Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM), Agriculture, Health and Energy, reviewed preparedness at the grassroots level. The R&DM Department has been holding regular coordination meetings with district collectors, NDRF and ODRAF units to achieve a “zero casualty” target.

After a high-level review, R&DM Minister Suresh Pujari said that 140 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire Services have been deployed across eight high-risk districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur. He added that the state has also coordinated with the Indian Coast Guard to ensure that trawlers and fishing boats return to shore.

Senior officers have been assigned to each “red zone” district to oversee cyclone management. Around 3,000 people have been evacuated to 1,445 cyclone shelters in southern Odisha, and the state plans to shift another 32,528 people to safer locations as a precaution. Both dry and cooked food are being arranged at the shelters.

Pujari said that 1,496 pregnant women have already been shifted to nearby Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), while the evacuation of another 760 women is in progress.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department has issued an advisory urging farmers to harvest crops that have reached at least 85 per cent maturity and store them safely. Farmers have been asked to cover harvested produce with polythene sheets, ensure quick drainage of storm water from fields and take steps to prevent post-cyclone pest attacks. Agriculture Principal Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee has directed that no agriculture officer will be allowed leave till October 31 and that crop loss assessments must begin immediately after water recedes.

The Health and Family Welfare Department has also said it is fully prepared to handle any emergency. As of Monday evening, 4,511 pregnant women have been identified for special monitoring, including 3,823 in the eight high-risk districts.

--IANS

gyan/pgh