The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has arranged to operate 130 temporary cyclone shelters across the city from Thursday in order to provide safer alternative for citizens living inside kutchha and semi permanent structures in the wake of very severe cyclonic storm Fani.
The BMC will provide free kitchen at the cyclone shelters along with adequate lighting, safe drinking water, habitable rooms, power backup with standby generator, clean toilets, care for people with special need. The sanitation teams to oversee toilets and cleanliness in each cyclone shelter, medical kit, and support by ASHA staff for smooth functioning of these cyclone shelters.
A meeting was held in this connection chaired by Vice-Chairman, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) Balwant Singh. BMC Commissioner Samarth Verma and senior officials of State and city agencies also attended and discussed in details the roles and responsibilities of the sector officers, shelter heads, ward officers and community organisers in order to smooth manage the cyclone shelters.
The civic body has done the arrangements for more than 50,000 peoples' evacuation by Thursday night and also free kitchen for the equal number.
Meanwhile, the emergency clearance and de-silting of major 10 drainage channels and major drains across the city were conducted by the Engineering and Drainage divisions.
Sand bags were also in vulnerable points near Salia Sahi to prevent possible water logging situation.
As the city has identified nearly 40 vulnerable and low-lying pockets across the city, a plan has been made to pre-position pump sets in coordination with Odisha Fire Services. Already 19 pump sets pre-positioned in vulnerable points.