After Special Relief Commissioner Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra sounded alert in 14 districts, including coastal ones, ahead of cyclonic storm warning, Kendrapada Collector Debendra Prasad Das convened an emergency meeting on Monday and asked senior officials to remain prepared to meet any eventuality.
The Collector asked officials, particularly of Mahakalpada and Rajanagar blocks, to remain on high alert. He asked all BDOs, tehsildars and other senior officials not to leave their headquarters and to ensure all necessary arrangements made for facing possible eventuality due to cyclonic storm ‘Kyant’, informed official sources.
According to Das, the two coastal blocks, which together have an estimated population of 20,000 in 143 villages, would be affected severely, if ‘Kyant’ hits the coast. So the district administration has arranged as many as 120 rehabilitation centers and asked the concerned BDOs and Tehsildars to make all arrangements so that all the people can be evacuated if situation so demands.
He asked the officers to keep food stuffs, dry food, drinking water, fodder and DG sets ready in the rehabilitation centres.
“People living in the coastal pockets would be asked to shift to safer places well before time. The district administration is fully prepared to face the possible cyclonic storm and ensure that no causality occurs in the district,” said Das.