Bhubaneswar, Oct 24: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said that all the necessary preparations to achieve zero casualties and tackle the impact of the impending severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' have been completed.

CM Majhi held discussions with the Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Cuttack, Khordha and Jajpur over the progress regarding preparations for cyclone 'Dana' which is fast approaching the Odisha coast.

While addressing the mediapersons after reviewing the cyclone preparations here on Thursday, CM Majhi said that the Central government has contacted the state administration and assured to provide all the necessary assistance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions on the cyclone 'Dana' and the preparations by the Odisha government to tackle the situation during the Union Cabinet meeting in Delhi on Thursday.

The Union Ministers apprised the Prime Minister about the situation.

The Prime Minister also expressed satisfaction over the preparations made by the state government.

He said the Centre has also provided the number of NDRF teams sought by the state. The NDRF units have reached and already been deployed in the affected places.

CM Majhi also noted that 1,653 villages in 38 blocks, 26 wards in nine municipalities in 11 districts are expected to experience the impact of the severe cyclonic storm 'Dana'.

The government has targeted to evacuate 3,62,000 people residing in the low-lying and vulnerable areas in the affected districts.

The Chief Minister also asserted that more than 3 lakh people have safely been shifted to the cyclone shelters till Thursday 11 a.m.

He assured that the evacuation process would be completed within the next few hours.

CM Majhi said that 2,338 pregnant women have also been shifted to the nearest hospitals and medical facilities.

As many as 842 permanent cyclone shelters and 6,443 temporary relief centres have been made operational to accommodate the evacuated people.

As many as 19 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 220 Odisha Fire Services teams have been deployed in affected districts. This apart, 157 platoons of the state police force have also been stationed in these districts.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the 'eye' (centre of the cyclonic storm) of severe cyclonic storm 'DANA', hasn’t been developed yet.

Mohapatra said that the 'eye' is formed when a cyclonic system becomes very strong. The cyclonic storm formed over the Bay of Bengal has remained as a severe cyclone and continued to move forward as predicted by the IMD.

Notably, 'Dana' lay centred over the Bay of Bengal, about 180 km southeast of Paradip , 210 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 270 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal) is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during the midnight of October 24 to morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting up to 120 kmph.

--IANS

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