Balasore: Over 10,500 people from 10 villages residing around the testing range Launch Complex–III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) would be evacuated, Wednesday for a missile test, official sources said, Tuesday. The shifting of residents would begin at 4 AM and they would be lodged in four earmarked temporary shelters till the completion of the testing procedure, official sources said.
This was decided at a meeting held here under the Chairmanship of district Superintendent of Police Sagarika Nath. She said for the evacuation and other duties 22 sections of the police force and 10 officers would be deployed. The compensation to the registered evacuees would be paid through the bank accounts. The district administration has established a control room to monitor the activities. The number of residents who would be temporarily shifted in the 3.5-kilometer perimeter of the testing center are Jaydevkasba (2725), Bhimpura (1823), Sahajanagar(477), Kusumuli((1307), Khudupahi(803), Tundura(408), Chhachina(479), Domuhapatna((41), Kantarda(391) and Bardhanpur(2127).
The evacuees would be lodged at the multipurpose cyclone centre at Bardhanpur, Bhimpura, Kalamatia and Nidhipada Sevashram, officials said. Additional District Magistrate (General) Sudhakar Nayak, ADM, Revenue, Niranjan Behera, Sub collector PA Rajsirke and the SDPO Sadar, SS Beura were among the officials present in the meeting.
