Odisha braces for Cyclone 'Montha': Eight districts on Red Zone list

Bhubaneswar, Oct 26 (IANS) Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Sunday reviewed the state’s preparedness in districts likely to be affected by the possible cyclonic system ‘Montha’ during a high-level meeting.

While speaking to media persons, Pujari said that eight districts of southern Odisha, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur, which are likely to be the most affected, have been placed under the Red Zone category.

He further stated that the administrations of all 30 districts — whether in the red zone or not — have been instructed to remain prepared to tackle any situation in case the cyclonic system changes its course. The minister stated that the deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal has been moving in a west-northwest direction at a speed of about 6 kilometres per hour during the past six hours.

The system is likely to move nearly west-northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It is likely to further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening/night of October 28.

He said that the Malkangiri district of Odisha is around 200 km from the place where the cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall.

The revenue minister on Sunday reviewed the readiness during discussions with the Collectors of all 30 districts in the high-level meeting on pre-cyclone preparations and response measures. Collectors, not getting affected in the cyclone, have also been instructed to send additional support teams, if needed, which may also be sent to neighbouring districts if required.

“During the last couple of months, we noticed that incidents of landslides have started emerging as a big problem for Odisha in the wake of massive rainfall. The district collectors have also been instructed to identify the hilly regions and the areas where there is any possibility of a landslide and all the precautionary measures to deal with them,” said Pujari.

As there is a possibility of landslides in Gajapati district, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Fire Services, forest department teams have been deployed in advance in the area. All other concerned departments, like the Energy, Health, and Water Resources departments, have been consulted to tackle situations like power outage, availability of medicines, anti-venom injections, possible waterlogging and rise in river water level, etc.

Fishermen have already returned from the sea, and fishing activities have been banned from October 27 to 31. In the Gajapati district, people living in high-altitude areas like Mahendragiri are being relocated to safer low-lying areas.

Collectors have been instructed to ensure the complete evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to cyclone and flood shelters, as well as to school buildings and community centres by 5 p.m. tomorrow.

As many as 128 teams of ODRAF, NDRF, and Fire Services have so far been deployed across eight districts. Collectors have been instructed to ensure the complete evacuation of people from vulnerable areas to safe shelters by 5 p.m. tomorrow.

District administrations have been directed to take strict action against black marketing of essential commodities. The government has cancelled the leave of all employees in the cyclone-prone districts and ordered the closure of all schools.

--IANS

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