Bhubaneswar/Berhampur: Still reeling from floods and deadly landslides triggered by Cyclone Arnab, Odisha on Monday scaled up preparations for Cyclone Murasu, targeting the evacuation of nearly 3 lakh people in Ganjam district alone as fresh rain pounded parts of southern Odisha.More than 1.51 lakh people have already been moved to safer places in Ganjam against an evacuation target of 2.94 lakh. Thousands more have been shifted from vulnerable and landslide-prone pockets of Kandhamal and Koraput, while Gajapati has kept shelters ready for around 35,000 people.As a precautionary measure, all Anganwadi centres across Rayagada district will remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Schools in Ganjam and Malkangiri will remain closed on Tuesday, while in Kandhamal, classes up to XIIth standard have been suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.The heightened state of alert comes even as Odisha is supposed to remain largely outside Murasu’s projected track. Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said the govt is fully prepared for its impact, particularly in Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Puri.IMD said Murasu is likely to move northwestwards and cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur, south of Ongole, as a severe cyclonic storm between 11.30pm Monday and 4am Tuesday, packing winds of 100-110kmph and gusting to 120kmph.Heavy rain is likely at isolated places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50kmph, and up to 60kmph, are likely at one or two places in Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh.The renewed rain threat is significant as several areas are still recovering from Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on Oct 28 and triggered extreme rainfall in southern Odisha.Ganjam has readied 110 permanent and 1,029 temporary shelters with capacity to accommodate 3.41 lakh people. District collector Keerthi Vasan V said residents of unsafe buildings, landslide-prone locations and other vulnerable areas had been identified for evacuation. Medical teams, drinking water, generators and other essentials have been arranged at the shelters.In Kandhamal, 2,394 people, including 450 children, have been shifted to 35 shelters, as well as 146 pregnant women. The administration has identified 62 vulnerable habitations across 18 panchayats and deployed ODRAF, NDRF and fire service teams.Koraput has shifted 500 people and kept 506 shelters ready. Evacuation and preparedness measures cover 120 vulnerable villages and habitations in 62 panchayats.Gajapati, where around 150 landslide-prone locations have been identified, has readied 512 alternative shelters and six permanent cyclone and flood shelters with a combined capacity of around 35,000.The precautions follow five deaths in landslides in Ganjam and Kandhamal in the aftermath of Arnab. Ten residents of Gadibapali in Ganjam’s Baibili panchayat remain missing, with rescue personnel continuing their search. A govt statement said 177 personnel of six departments and three sniffer dogs have been deployed to search for the 10 missing persons.
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