Disaster Preparedness / Suresh Pujari Shares Preparedness Details as Depression Nears Coast

Bhubaneswar, Sep 23: Odisha is on high alert as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal moves inland, prompting the state government to deploy disaster response teams and prepare for heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across several districts.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari announced that 33 ODRAF teams have been deployed across six districts, with additional units stationed in Chhatrapur.

Special barricades are being erected in landslide‑prone areas, while Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik and Gokula Nanda Mallik will personally monitor the situation in Koraput and Gajapati respectively.

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The depression, located about 140 km from Gopalpur, is moving northwest at 11 km per hour and is expected to cross the Odisha–Andhra coast late Wednesday night.

Rain has already begun in Koraput, Gajapati, Ganjam, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, and Kalahandi, with the system likely to move towards Chhattisgarh by evening.

Authorities have evacuated 3,170 people, including 70 pregnant women, to relief shelters in Gajapati. Over 130 landslide‑prone sites have been identified, with heavy machinery deployed to clear debris.

A minor landslide in R. Udayagiri block was cleared within two hours, restoring traffic. In Tiligaon village, five houses collapsed, but residents were provided emergency shelter materials.

Gajapati Collector Akshay Sunil Agrawal reported 633.5 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, with Mohana and R. Udayagiri blocks recording over 100 mm. Despite the deluge, flood risk remains low as river levels are below danger marks.

In Puri district, rainfall has continued since noon, accompanied by rough seas and strong winds of up to 32 kmph. The district recorded 1,014.5 mm of rain in 48 hours, with Konas registering the highest at 110 mm. Schools and Anganwadi centres across the district have been closed for safety.

The state has opened 24‑hour control rooms, cancelled leave for officials in red and orange alert zones, and instructed district collectors to remain on standby with pumps to tackle urban flooding.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg has already reviewed preparedness with district administrations, while the Chief Minister has been briefed on the situation. The conditions are expected to normalize after September 25.