The work for establishment of calamity Early Warning System (EWS) has started in 22 blocks in coastal districts of Baleswar, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Puri and Ganjam to provide prior information about possible natural disasters and precautionary measures to the people.
Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi informed this after attending a meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary AP Padhi at the State Secretariat on Thursday.
He said the systems are being set up a total cost of Rs 75.09 crore with financial assistance of Rs 66.77 crore from the Word Bank. Odisha is the first State to set up EWSs, he said.
The larson and Tubro has been awarded the work following a global tender.
The State Disaster Management Centre would be connected with as many as 161 towers to be set up for the EWSs.
The towers would be set up at the schools, Panthaniwases, fishing harbours, Central Industrial Security Forces camps, gram panchayat offices, police stations and tehsil offices.
While the Bharat Sanchar Nigam limited (BSNl) would provide necessary bandwidth to propagate information on natural disasters, the Energy Department was asked to provide electricity connection to run the equipment.
The SDMC will have six towers at district level, 22 at block level and 14 in fishing jetties and 122 siren towers while six digital mobile radio stations would be connected to the system, said the SRC.
He said people living in two km radius area of the siren towers can be given early warnings about cyclones and Tsunami.