Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary D.K. Singh, DG Fire Services Dr. S. Sarangi, Special Relief Commissioner, senior officials of IMD, ODRAF, and Secretaries of all relevant departments attended a high-level pre-cyclone preparedness meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg to review the state’s preparedness for the upcoming cyclone season. Special Relief Commissioner and Managing Director of OSDMA, Rajesh Prabhakar Patil welcomed the state’s strong commitment to achieving its goal of “Zero Casualty.” Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary D.K. Singh, DG Fire Services Dr. S. Sarangi, Special Relief Commissioner, top IMD and ODRAF officials, and secretaries of all relevant departments attended the meeting.
Special Relief Commissioner and Managing Director of OSDMA Rajesh Prabhakar Patil welcomed the attendees and emphasized that Odisha’s location along the Bay of Bengal makes it extremely vulnerable to cyclones. He pointed out that the frequency and unpredictability of cyclonic storms had risen due to changing climatic circumstances. Patil reaffirmed the state’s unwavering dedication to achieving its “Zero Casualty” goal through strong readiness, improved coordination, and prompt early warning distribution.
The ADG (Law & Order) reported that 30 ODRAF teams are on standby and ready for immediate deployment for search and rescue operations. Several departments, including Water Resources, Health & Family Welfare, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development, Energy, Food Supplies, Agriculture, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, and Housing & Urban Development, presented their preparedness measures. Dr. Manorama Mohanty, Director of Meteorological Centre Bhubaneswar, told the meeting that there is currently no chance of a cyclone along the Odisha coast. She did, however, encourage the state to continue being fully prepared on all fronts. Thirty ODRAF teams are on standby and prepared for quick deployment for search and rescue operations, according to the ADG (Law & Order). The preparatory measures were submitted by a number of agencies, including Water Resources, Health & Family Welfare, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development, Energy, Food Supplies, Agriculture, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, and Housing & Urban Development.
Development Commissioner D.K. Singh asked all departments to review preparedness with their field officers and strictly adhere to IMD forecasts. These included reservoir management, restoration of roads and power supply, ensuring safe drinking water, stocking of medicines and cattle feed, availability of essential commodities, and emergency response arrangements. Departments were instructed to ensure full readiness of cyclone and flood shelters, activate control rooms immediately, and strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs). Departments were instructed to carefully adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs), activate control rooms right away, and guarantee that flood and cyclone shelters were fully prepared. Strengthening interdepartmental cooperation for efficient disaster response and promptly communicating cyclone warnings, especially to fishermen, were given particular attention. Development Commissioner D.K. Singh requested that all agencies closely adhere to IMD projections and discuss readiness with their field personnel.
