Odisha to Revamp Cyclone Shelters and Enhance Disaster Preparedness Following Cyclone Dana

Odisha to Revamp Cyclone Shelters and Enhance Disaster Preparedness Following Cyclone Dana

Following the response to cyclone Dana, the state government has decided to expand and upgrade multipurpose cyclone shelters. This initiative will also involve strengthening infrastructure and increasing the pool of trained personnel to better manage future natural disasters.

CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday announced that as many as 844 existing multipurpose cyclone shelters will be reconstructed and converted into schools-cum-shelters. The cyclone shelters will function as schools in normal times so that the administration does not have to struggle for providing facilities like electricity and drinking water during natural disasters. He also added that the state government has decided to construct 500 more multi-purpose buildings to accommodate people during natural calamities in coastal districts. The number of ODRAF units will be increased from 20 to 30 while a state-of-the-art Natural Disaster Management Centre will soon come up in the state for training personnel.

Government is planning to take steps on creating adequate mangrove forest cover along the coast to check the impact of natural disasters. It will be created along the 480-km coastline and local response teams will be established in every revenue village in the state.

At an event marking Disaster Preparedness Day and National Disaster Reduction Day 2024, the Chief Minister highlighted Odisha's successful response to cyclone Dana, attributing it to coordinated efforts and effective preparedness. He announced that the government achieved its mission of zero casualties. Prior to the storm, eight lakh people were evacuated to safe cyclone shelters, protecting them from the impact on over 6,000 villages and urban areas across 11 districts.

The CM expressed gratitude to the 388 response teams from NDRF, ODRAF, Fire Services, Forest, and police for their exemplary work during cyclone Dana and later rescue and relief operations, acknowledging the efforts of all agencies and the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority. He also honored 142 individuals who played a crucial role in achieving ‘zero casualties’ during cyclone Dana.

Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari noted that the state government effectively managed cyclone Dana due to the cooperation of the public and all deployed agencies. Additionally, the state government signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with two organizations to enhance disaster management: one with the Council for Energy, Environment and Water for heatwave management in ten cities, and another with the UN World Food Program for online disaster management awareness.

Director General of IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, stated that Odisha has set a global example by successfully facing cyclones.