Bhubaneswar, Oct 24: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has relocated residents from low-lying areas and kutcha houses to nearby shelter homes as part of its cyclone preparedness efforts.
So far, 1,152 people have been shifted with all necessary facilities provided to ensure their comfort and safety, said the BMC in a statement.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Usha Padhee and the BMC Commissioner personally inspected the shelter homes to monitor the arrangements. Additionally, 11 destitute people have been relocated to urban shelter homes, and 36 pregnant women have been transferred to various hospitals for better care.
To monitor and manage the situation during Cyclone “Dana,” BMC is operating a 24x7 control center at the ICOMC Tower, it said.
Officials from essential departments, including WATCO, TPCODL, School and Mass Education, the Fire Department, and Commissionerate Police, are stationed at the control room for seamless coordination.
It has been directed that all grievances be addressed promptly. As of 7 PM today, a total of 288 cyclone-related grievances have been registered, with nodal officials promptly dispatching teams to resolve them.
BMC has established 109 cyclone shelter homes across the city. Vehicles and three buses are on standby for additional evacuations if necessary. The Hon’ble Mayor and the Commissioner have urged residents to remain calm and assured them that all necessary measures are in place. Citizens are encouraged to call the 1929 helpline for assistance with any issues.
All broken and dangerously leaning trees have been removed, along with damaged electric poles. BMC's tree-cutting equipment, along with 65 machines from the Fire Department and ODRAF teams, is on standby.
To address waterlogging, 31 pump sets have been deployed, with an additional 6 on reserve, along with 28 pump sets from the Fire Department. WATCO has also readied its pump sets.
To ensure uninterrupted access to drinking water, WATCO has prepared pumps, generators, and water tankers. Every necessary arrangement has been made to prevent any disruption in the water supply.
The electricity department has deployed additional staff, with a rapid action team assigned to each substation to ensure uninterrupted power supply. Vehicles, cutting equipment, and boats are on standby for emergencies. Of the 10 BMC emergency teams, 7 are fully activated to respond to any critical situations.
Since yesterday, BMC has been providing food for stray animals, distributing 1 quintal of cooked food for stray dogs and 0.5 quintal for stray cattle.
The situation is being continuously monitored, with ward-wise teams assigned to relocate residents based on wind speed and rainfall. BMC’s teams are fully prepared to manage any scenario. Three senior BMC officials have been appointed to oversee these efforts. The Commissioner and Additional Commissioner are personally supervising the operations.
