BHUBANESWAR: With Met officials forecasting the formation of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal by May 24, the State Government on Friday issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) asking civic bodies to step up measures in urban areas for effective management of the situation.
The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department asked the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to identify and finalise alternative shelters with the provision of adequate food materials, alternate power supply and drinking water besides, keeping an evacuation plan ready.
“In view of the pandemic, all safety protocols and Covid appropriate behaviour must be practised during sensitisation and evacuation,” the SOP stated and added that special care should be given to the elderly, infirm, differently-abled, pregnant and nursing mothers, children and infants.
First-aid boxes with essential medicines shall be kept in readiness at the shelters. Arrangements for sanitation and hand hygiene must also be put in place besides, additional sanitation workers may be engaged for two days for keeping the toilets clean, the department ordered.
As per the SOP, all vulnerable households must be identified and families evacuated to safe shelters. Control rooms will be made operational round the clock in all ULBs to manage the water supply situation.
The department has asked ULBs to create Whatsapp groups for better coordination and effective management of the situation.
The civic bodies have also been directed to ensure desilting of major drains to prevent water logging and urban flooding and pre-positioning of equipment such as tree cutters along with skilled staff for their likely deployment in cyclone affected ULBs. The government has directed all the municipal corporations, municipalities and NACs to keep high capacity diesel pump sets in readiness for draining out excess water from low lying areas.