Anxiety robs Puri residents of their sleep

Bhubaneswar: Cyclonic storm Amphan, which advanced north-westwards and looked set to turn into a very severe cyclonic storm, has left people in the coastal areas of Puri district panic-stricken. Although Amphan will not make landfall in the district, the residents are yet to overcome the trauma caused by Cyclone Fani on May 3, 2019.
The state government has sounded a high alert in 12 districts, including Puri, which was the worst affected when Fani made landfall along the coast with winds blowing at nearly 230kmph and rendered lakhs of people homeless. At least 30 deaths were reported in Puri alone last year, and it took the state three months to completely restore infrastructure across the district.
“I completed the repair of my house in February this year. It was fully damaged by Fani. With much difficulty, I arranged for some money and repaired my home. Cyclone Amphan has left me terrified of what will happen,” said Prabhat Pradhan of Hunda village near Satapada.
Fishermen living in huts along beaches in Puri district are also spending sleepless nights. “We have seen several cyclones in Puri but the destruction caused by Fani was beyond our imagination. News of another cyclone is scaring us. Add to that the coronavirus situation,” said Mayema Reddy, a resident of Penthakota fishing slum.
The Puri administration on Sunday fine-tuned its preparedness to handle Amphan’s impact.
“We had a district-level preparedness meeting. The 885 cyclone shelters are ready to accommodate at least 95,000 people. Decision on evacuation, if required, will be taken on Monday. We are identifying the vulnerable households for evacuation,” district collector Balwant Singh said.
The collector said five senior officers had been camping at six coastal blocks in the district. “We have mobilised personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, fire service and police to guard vulnerable locations,” Singh said.