Bhubaneswar: The state government plans to construct 500 new multipurpose cyclone shelters in disaster-prone areas to further bolster its emergency response capabilities. Currently, Odisha maintains a network of 909 flood and cyclone shelters, which includes 600 multipurpose cyclone shelters and 309 multipurpose flood shelters.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired the 38th Governing Body meeting of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) today at Kharavela Bhawan, where the above major expansion of the state’s life-saving infrastructure was approved.
The session was attended by senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary Labour & ESI Smt.Chithra Arumugam, Principal Secretary Finance, Shri Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra, Director General of Fire Services Dr. Sudhanshu Sarangi, Secretary Agriculture, Shri Sachin R Jadhav who updated the body on the state’s readiness to handle specialized challenges such as chemical disasters. SRC & OSDMA MD Shri Rajesh P Patil presented details.
Of the 500 newly planned units, 52 shelters are already being progressed through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, while an additional 25 have received formal state government approval. Chief Secretary Smt.Garg emphasized that these facilities are critical for ensuring the safety of coastal and vulnerable populations during natural calamities.
The meeting also reviewed the implementation of digital tools for disaster management, including the Samarth portal for tracking personnel training and the Odisha Disaster Resource Network (ODRN), a GIS-based system that maps manpower and equipment down to the Gram Panchayat level. Additionally, the progress of the State Institute of Disaster Management (SIDM) under construction at Gothapatna was discussed, with completion expected by December.