Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to install new radars at three places for real-time weather tracking, a minister said Thursday.
The decision was taken at the state-level Natural Disaster Committee meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Wednesday evening.
As Odisha is vulnerable to natural calamities like cyclones, the state needs modern equipment and skilled human resources, revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said.
“To obtain accurate weather-related information, two Doppler radars will be installed in Sambalpur and Balasore. A modern radar will also be set up in Bhubaneswar,” Pujari said, adding that 24-hour emergency control rooms have been made operational at the district levels in the state.
The minister said the state gets all weather-related developments through these control rooms, and accordingly, plans are made to mitigate the situation.
“We are now able to disseminate messages to the people and make them aware of weather conditions immediately,” he said.
As many people died due to lightning in Odisha, the state government has taken certain measures, including the plantation of palm trees with the help of the forest, environment and climate change department.
“The palm trees act as a natural barrier against the lightning,” the minister said.
He also said the state government was developing disaster-resilient infrastructure to reduce the impact of calamities like floods and cyclones.
The state has 909 multi-purpose shelters to facilitate people with temporary accommodation during calamities in 25 of the 30 districts, the minister said.
Addressing the meeting, also attended by several ministers, MPs and MLAs, Majhi said, “Our government stands with the people during disasters and will continue to do so. During the monsoon from June to October, Odisha is vulnerable to floods and cyclones.”
Noting that natural disasters are inevitable, Majhi said that their impact can be significantly reduced through “robust preparedness and interdepartmental coordination”.
He stressed the prevention of human and livestock loss in natural disasters.
The chief minister thanked all the stakeholders, including the government officials, for successfully handling a flood and a cyclone in 2024.
He said the state government has declared unseasonal rain and heatwave as state disasters for which farmers are compensated as per the relief code. One person died due to sunstroke this year, the CM said.
Majhi said that rescue teams need to remain on alert for rapid deployment during calamities, and interdepartmental coordination is most essential to mitigate the impact of a disaster.
PTI
