BHUBANESWAR: Civic authorities geared up its machinery to deal with emergencies arising out of cyclone Fani. Officials of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority said as per IMD predictions, the Capital will experience heavy rainfall and wind speed of around 115 kmph during landfall on May 3 forenoon.
Met officials predicted extreme damage to kutcha houses and warned people about the strong wind and potential threat from flying objects and uprooting of trees.The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) made 130 temporary cyclone shelters functional in the city to provide safer alternatives for citizens living in kutcha houses and thatched houses in slums.
Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Samarth Verma said the civic body has planned to provide shelter and free food to around 50,000 affected people during the cyclone. BMC officials said they will provide free kitchen services at the cyclone shelters along with adequate lighting, safe drinking water and habitable rooms. The shelters will have power backup with standby generators, clean toilets, care for people with special needs, sanitation teams to oversee toilets and cleanliness and medical units for their smooth functioning. Meanwhile, the cyclone, which will induce heavy rainfall across all coastal and adjoining districts, triggered fear of urban flooding among residents living in the low lying areas of the city as water-logging and urban flooding has become a regular affair in the city during heavy rainfall.
Corporation officials said they have identified 40 vulnerable and low-lying pockets and it has been planned to pre-position pump sets in coordination with Odisha Fire Services in those areas to clear water. A total 19 pump sets have also been pre-positioned in vulnerable areas, the officials said.
They said de-silting of 10 major drainage channels across the city was done by the engineering and drainage divisions of the Commission to ensure clear discharge of water.Sand bags were also placed in vulnerable points near Salia Sahi to prevent possible water logging situation, BMC officials said.