“We have 182 teams about 2000 people”: Odisha Fire Services DG on Cyclone Dana

Bhubaneswar: Stressing on the preparations for Cyclone ‘Dana’, Odisha Fire Services Director General, Sudhanshu Sarangi said that they have 182 teams which is nearly about 2000 people and they are fully geared up to deal with the cyclone.

The IMD has indicated that Cyclone Dana is likely to move north-westwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the northwest Bay of Bengal by the early hours of October 24.

Odisha Fire Services Chief Sarangi said, “We are fully geared up for the cyclone. We have 182 teams of Fire and Rescue Services of Odisha which is nearly about 2000 people. We will cover all the 14 districts which will be affected…we have 20 teams of NDRF…we also have 400 personnel of State Disaster Force…we have mobilized some team from Forest department.”

Khorda Sub Divisional Magistrate Dipti Ranjan Sethi highlighted that all the blocks have been given evacuation plans and wherever there are hoardings in the town area, they have been removed and the officers in the area have also been called and the evacuation plan is ready.

“If needed we will evacuate people, there are also arrangements for food and water for them. We are sure that we can deal with the cyclone,” SDM Sethi said.

On Wednesday, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi convened a meeting to assess the state’s readiness for Cyclone Dana and announced that evacuation efforts are in progress, intending to relocate 90 percent of residents by 11 AM the following day, and noted that between 3-4 lakh people have already been evacuated.

Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Charan Majhi said, “State government is taking cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ very seriously. Arrangements are in place for the affected districts, including Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri.”

The Odisha Chief Minister also urged citizens to prioritize their safety and remain vigilant, while adding that the government is fully prepared to handle all situations.

Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged people to remain vigilant. In a video message, he highlighted the state’s strong disaster management policy, which he said would help mitigate the cyclone’s impact.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in both Odisha and West Bengal have been placed on standby. Additionally, rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard are on high alert.