Bhubaneswar: The State Government has given crucial responsibilities to manage impending cyclone Dana to six young IAS Officers, who have experience in handling such cyclones in the past.
The office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has issued an order in this regard today.
As per the order, Director, Minor Minerals, K Sudarshan Chakarvarthy has been appointed to supervise rescue and relief operations in Balasore district while IAS Officer Trilochan Majhi would look after the cyclone management in Bhadrak district.
Tourism Secretary Balwant Singh would look after Puri district while Vineet Bhardwaj, Yamini Sarangi and Samarth Verma have been given the responsibilities of Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts, respectively.
These young IAS officers had served as collectors in the assigned districts in the past and had successfully managed natural disasters, officials said.
Meanwhile, the government has decided to close all educational institutions including private and government-run schools, colleges and universities will remain closed in 14 districts from October 23 to 25 in view of an impending cyclone.
All schools, colleges, universities, technical/professional institutions, polytechnics and ITIs located in the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Nayagarh, Cuttack, and Khurda will remain closed for three days (October 23 to 25).
Following the instruction from the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Higher Education, School & Mass Education and Skill Development & Technical Education departments have issued necessary instructions to the heads of different educational institutes in the 14 districts on Tuesday for closure of the institutions as a precautionary measure.
As per IMD’s prediction, the cyclonic storm is likely to form by Wednesday over eastcentral Bay of Bengal. It is expected to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during night of October 24 and October 25 morning as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph.
Under its impact, the above-mentioned 14 districts are likely to be affected with wind action as well as heavy rainfall.