Bhubaneswar, 29 October (H.S.): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on late Wednesday evening reviewed the situation and response measures for Cyclone Arnab at the Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) control room. He expressed satisfaction with the state's preparedness and response, stating that the government had so far achieved its zero-casualty target, with no loss of life reported.

Speaking to the media after the review meeting, the Chief Minister said the state and district administrations had remained fully prepared to tackle the cyclone. He added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him several times before and during the cyclone to discuss preparedness and response measures. The Odisha government had also remained in constant touch with the Andhra Pradesh government.

At the SRC control room, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil briefed the Chief Minister on the cyclone's current status and its impact on Odisha. Majhi subsequently reviewed relief and rescue operations and spoke over the phone with deputy chief ministers and ministers assigned to monitor the situation in different districts.

Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who was overseeing the situation in Koraput, Minister Suryabanshi Suraj in Gajapati and Minister Nityananda Gond in Malkangiri briefed the Chief Minister on rainfall, damage, river water levels and arrangements at relief shelters.

The Chief Minister said 17 blocks across the state had recorded rainfall exceeding 105 mm. Patangi in Koraput district received the highest rainfall at 188 mm, followed by Mohana in Gajapati district at 182.4 mm. Gajapati was the worst-affected district due to heavy rainfall, he added.

Majhi said Odisha had developed considerable expertise in disaster management and that the state and district administrations had made adequate preparations to deal with the situation. He expressed satisfaction over the coordinated response and said the government had deployed two deputy chief ministers, six ministers and seven IAS officers to oversee cyclone management in different districts.

A total of 313 response teams have been deployed for cyclone-related rescue and relief operations. These include 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 244 Fire Services teams.

According to the Chief Minister, 43,827 people have been moved to safety at 634 shelters across eight affected districts. These are Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati and Nuapada.

Cooked meals, dry food, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies are being provided at relief camps to ensure the safety and well-being of the displaced people.

The Chief Minister said 2,245 pregnant women had been shifted to nearby health centres as a precautionary measure during the cyclone. Meanwhile, 931 babies had been delivered safely during the period.

The government had also taken special measures to ensure the safe return of fishermen from the sea. According to Majhi, fishermen who had ventured into the sea in 19,143 boats along the coast from Ganjam to Balasore had returned safely to shore.

He said the administration had achieved complete success in bringing the fishermen back to safety.

The Chief Minister said the government continued to closely monitor the situation, as rainfall could lead to waterlogging in low-lying areas across several districts. Officials had been instructed to make adequate arrangements for deploying pumps to drain accumulated water and prevent further inconvenience to residents.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department Dr Aravind Padhee and senior officials of the Special Relief Commissioner's office attended the review meeting.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda