BERHAMPUR: Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange on Friday directed agriculture officials to record videos of standing crops in low-lying areas so that it will later help in assessing damage due to the cyclone, if any.
Reviewing the cyclone preparedness in a meeting, Kulange asked officials to shift people living in low-lying areas of Chikiti, Patrapur, Sorada, Gopalpur and Sunapur to safer places by Friday night. NDRF and ODRAF teams have been deployed at Ganjam, Patrapur and Gopalpur. Besides, two more teams have been kept on standby at Chhatrapur.
All educational institutions have been asked to cancel classes but teachers and other staff will remain present. Officers should not leave their respective headquarters and violators would face stringent action. Tourists were advised against visiting sea beaches on Friday and Saturday. In Berhampur, a help line number 7326837329 will function 24×7 from Friday night to Sunday evening. As many as 189 shelter homes have been kept ready across the district to accommodate people living in vulnerable areas.
So far, 184 pregnant women have been shifted to hospitals and 12 of them have given birth. Condition of the mothers and newborns is stable.