Locals plan ahead of Hudhud

Mock drills for evacuation conducted in 32 shelters : People, who were affected by cylone Phailin last year, in coastal regions of Ganjam district of Odisha are preparing to face Hudhud.

As per orders of the government, schools in seven districts of south Odisha including Ganjam would remain closed till October 13. Mock drills for evacuation were conducted in few of the 32 permanent cyclone shelters in the district on Friday. As per initial plans, around 1.5 lakh people may be evacuated to safe places from vulnerable coastal regions of the Ganjam district. Fourteen blocks in the Ganjam district are likely to be most affected by Hudhud. The administration has already stationed eight nodal officers to monitor the evacuation and rescue operations in these areas. Inhabitants of over 150 slums in Berhampur, are most vulnerable to the possibility of heavy rains due to Hudhud. Dry food and polythene sheets are being sent to block and panchayat headquarters of areas vulnerable to the cyclone .

The coastal fishermen, who were the worst affected during Phailin were busy throughout the day dragging their boats and nets to safe places. Since Thursday afternoon they have stopped entering the sea to fish. Few showers of rain have already submerged the road to Podampeta and it is feared that the road would be made inaccessible due to torrential rains during cyclone.

The inhabitants of Nulia Nuagaon lamented that even one year after cyclone Phailin, the condition of the shelters in their village has not improved. The cyclone shelter, built in 2003 after the super cyclone of 1999, is dilapidated and the inhabitants of the village fear to take shelter in it. The ‘inter-agency coordination group’ of Ganjam district has initiated measures to make cyclone shelters as usable as possible with special assistance facility for children, pregnant women, physically challenged and the aged.

Content Courtesy: The Hindu