Poor maintenance has made many cyclone shelters in the district uninhabitable.
Jagatsinghpur has 593 cyclone shelters including 17 multi-purpose shelters and eight flood shelters. Of these, many are in a bad shape and may not be able to serve the purpose for which they were built.
The multi-purpose cyclone shelters and flood shelters were constructed by Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) with help from the experts of IIT-Kharagpur.
The buildings were designed to withstand wind speed up to 300 kmph and moderate earthquakes. Those were built above high flood line to remain safe from high sea tide.
Most of the shelters, in the absence of periodic repair and maintenance, are lying in dilapidated condition though the area experiences flood every year. Wide cracks have developed in roofs while the walls leak even during slightest rain. The shelters were constructed after the 1999 Super Cyclone that killed thousands in the district.
But after 14 years of the natural disaster, not much money has been spent by the State Government for maintenance of these shelters.
At present, 150 cyclone shelters are in urgent need of repair.
Deputy Collector (Emergency) Rasmiranjan Das said the district administration had sought financial assistance of Rs 72 lakh to take up renovation and repair works of the cyclone shelters in 2006.
“But so far, we have received just Rs19.90 lakh from the Government for the purpose,” he said.
Cycle Shelter Coordinator of OSDMA KC Bisoi said the agency lack funds for repair of the shelters. “We have already spent `60,000 for repair of some of the shelters, but there is no more funds that can be diverted for taking up further renovation,” Bisoi said.
Many of the cyclone shelters were set up by Paradeep Port Trust, Paradeep Phosphates Limited, National Project Construction Corporation, Indian Overseas Bank, Tata, CASA, Reserve Bank of India, RK Mission, HUDCO and CYSD. Funds were even sanctioned from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, all the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Besides, scores of voluntary agencies, corporate sectors and public sector undertakings had generously donated money for the projects as part of post-cyclone reconstruction and restoration work.