Cyclone JAWAD update: NDRF, ODRAF, Fire Services Teams Sent to different districts of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Amid the threat of possible landfall of Cyclone JAWAD in Odisha, the State government has made elaborate arrangements to avoid any loss of life and property.

The State government has started the evacuation of people living in the low-lying areas and deployed several teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Odisha Fire Services in the districts which are likely to be affected by the impending cyclone.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena while addressing the media persons said that 60 teams of ODRAF (10 members each), 34 NDRF (15 members each) and 172 Fireteams (8 members each) have been deployed in the districts which are likely to be affected by the cyclone.

In Ganjam district, 9 ODRAF teams, 6 NDRF teams and 30 Fire teams have been deployed in view of the cyclone.

Likewise, 6 ODRAF teams, 2 NDRF teams and 10 Fire teams have been deployed in Gajapati district. Three ODRAF teams, 2 NDRF teams and 18 Fire teams have been deployed in Puri district.

Similarly, 4 NDRF teams and 17 Fire teams have been deployed in Khurda district and 19 Fire teams have been deployed in Cuttack district.

Several NDRF, ODRAF and Odisha Fire teams also have been deployed in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts.

The SRC also said that 27 teams of ODRAF, 10 teams of NDRF and 14 teams of firefighters also have been kept in reserve and will be sent to the places wherever and whenever needed.

“Rainfall in Odisha likely to start from the midnight of December 3. Heavy to very heavy rainfall will be witnessed in Ganjam, Gajapti, Puri and Khurda districts. Likewise, rainfall will be witnessed in the coastal districts between December 4 and December 5,” said the SRC.

Fishing has been prohibited between December 3 and December 5 and an advisory has been issued to the farmers to harvest their crops as much as possible.

“The district collectors also have been directed to shift the people living in the kutcha houses to the cyclone shelter homes and follow the COVID guidelines. A special focus has to be given to pregnant women,” he said adding that the Energy Department also has been asked to keep their manpower and equipment ready to supply the electricity in case of disruption.