Bhubaneswar, October 20: The Odisha Government on Sunday cancelled the leaves of all its employees as the State is expected to experience the first tropical storm of the post-monsoon season on October 24.
“Leaves of all Government officials have been cancelled. District Collectors take decision on declaring holidays for schools. They have been directed to identify people residing in vulnerable pockets of the State and shift them to nearby cyclone shelters in view of a possible cyclone over the Bay of Bengal around October 23,” informed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Deo Ranjan Singh on Sunday.
The first tropical storm of the post-monsoon season is expected to develop over the Bay of Bengal by 23 October, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Singh also said that pregnant women, whose delivery dates fall within a week, will be brought to the nearest health centres.
“A meeting with the district Collectors will be held tomorrow. The administration is ready to face any kind of challenges and we aim for zero causality,” Singh added.
The SRC also urged the fishermen not to venture into the sea.
“I request all the fishermen not to sail into the sea from today until further information. Those who are already in the sea should return to the coast at the earliest,” said SRC Singh.
“The low-pressure area will intensify into a depression and move towards the Odisha-West Bengal coasts. It may intensify into a cyclone. This is a very dynamic system and we are closely monitoring it. ODRAF and NDRF have been altered. There is no to panic,” he said.
