Red Cross readies food packets in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha braces for a tropical storm, preparedness for relief distribution has been scaled up to extend support to the people in distress in the affected areas post cyclone.Volunteers of Red Cross Society in the Capital city have started packing relief materials  for their distribution in 10 districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, Puri and Ganjam that would be affected.Dry food packets containing flattened rice, jaggery, ‘chhatua’, water pouches and masks are being packed at the State Red Cross headquarters here.

“Currently we are concentrating on the 10 vulnerable districts where relief materials will be distributed post-cyclone. Around 1,000 packets have been readied today, while another 1,500 packets will be packed tomorrow and dispatched to the vulnerable districts,” said Secretary of Indian Red Cross Society -  Odisha branch - CTM Suguna. These packets are also being readied at district level.

“We have 3,200 Red Cross volunteers ready to be engaged in the relief work in the affected districts,” Suguna said and added that hundreds of volunteers from the Youth Red Cross and Junior Red Cross will also be mobilised to extend support in carrying out the relief work in the affected areas. Suguna said that they have also shared the list of volunteers with the Collectors of the districts concerned to mobilise them for relief operations if required. 

The Red Cross has also activated its 65 community managed shelters in the 10 districts to shift people from the nearby vulnerable pockets there.  Apart from Red Cross, the ODRAF, NDRF and Fire Services teams will also be pitched in for the relief work post cyclone, officials said.