Relief work underway on war footing
Bhubaneswar: The relief and restoration work by the personnel of Odisha Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Response Action Force (ODRAF), Fire Services personnel, Energy and other departments are underway on a war footing after cyclone Dana made landfall on Odisha coast.
The severe cyclonic storm-induced wind speed and heavy rainfall caused maximum damage in Odisha’s coastal districts of Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore. Hundreds of trees and electricity poles were uprooted, electric wires snapped and thatched houses damaged at many places in the affected coastal districts.
The police, Fire Services, ODRAF and NDRF teams have been engaged in clearing blockades by removing uprooted trees that fell on the roads. As many as 19 NDRF, 51 ODRAF and 220 Odisha Fire Services teams have been deployed in the affected districts. This apart, 157 platoons of State police force have also been stationed in these districts.
Speaking to mediapersons, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Friday said the roads have been cleared at several places in the cyclone-affected districts within four hours of completion of the landfall process on Friday. He said no disruptions in the telecommunications sector have been reported due to the cyclone. Pujari also told mediapersons that the Energy department has assured to restore power supply by Friday sunset.
The R&DM Minister said the district collectors have already been directed to take steps for cleaning the water bodies in low-lying villages before people return to their residences from cyclone shelters and relief centres. As per reports, more than 6 lakh persons were shifted from their homes in low-lying and vulnerable places before the severe cyclonic storm hit the Odisha coast on Thursday midnight.
Notably, the severe cyclonic storm Dana made landfall at Habalikhati nature camp near Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district on Thursday midnight. The landfall process was complete on Friday morning after almost nine hours.