Chhatrapur: In view of the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal turning into a deep depression and a state government direction in this regard, Ganjam Collector Amruta Kulange Thursday asked all employees of the district administration not to leave the headquarters.
The Collector, on a direction from the revenue department, special relief commissioner and Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), asked the BDO, tehsildar and officers of drainage and water resources departments to remain alert.
If required, vulnerable places of the district would be identified and people relocated to cyclone sheds and schools, said Kulange to the media Thursday afternoon.
He also urged people not to venture into Rushikulya river and other water bodies. The fishermen have been asked not to enter the sea for fishing. He advised people to follow the state government advisory in the wake of the flood and the cyclone threats.
Meanwhile, a 24X7 control room was opened by the emergency department at the collectorate to monitor the situation.
According IMD sources, Gopalpur Port authorities were asked to hoist cautionary signal number 3 as the wind speed is likely to remain between 60 km and 80 km during the landfall of the cyclone in midnight at Gopalpur.
The PHEO and energy department have been asked to remain alert as these services are hit during such situation.
In another development, diploma engineers who have gone leave en masse over their demands have been asked to join duty immediately failing which criminal proceedings would be initiated against them under CrPC and the Disaster Management Act.
The engineers have been asked to join the administration to combat possible flood and cyclone situation, according to a direction of the executive engineer of Berhampur drainage division. Earlier, the water resources department secretary PK Jena sent the message to the executive engineers of drainage and water resources department through WhatsApp.
The diploma engineers had submitted their leave applications September 3 to the authorities informing them that they would go on leave en masse if their demands are not fulfilled.
Nearly 370 diploma engineers of various departments in the district have gone on leave seeking fulfillment of their demands, a report said.
PNN