‘Titli’ after effects trigger rains, Team BMC on action mode

Bhubaneswar: Nearly 120 mm rainfall within 33 hours of time due to the depression caused by the after effects of cyclonic storm ‘Titli’, has once again put the entire workforce of Team BMC on high alert and action mode, to keep the citizens safe.

As per the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) local office, while the city received nearly 97 mm rainfall between 8.30 am on October 11 and 8.30 am today, from 8.30 am till 2.30 pm today, it received more than 20 mm rainfall, causing water-logging in many low-lying areas.

The helpline numbers of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) received 37 complaints since last night and all were addressed. While through the Bhubaneswar Operations Centre (BOC) 26 complaints were received till evening hours, through BMC Storm Water Control Room 11 complaints were received.

Since yesterday midnight 14 pumps were put to service at different locations by the Odisha Fire Services and BMC stationed its pumps at seven various locations across the State Capital.

The major locations where pumps were deployed, include: Gouri Nagar, Shriram Nagar Lane 10, Mallick Complex Jagamara, Ratna Villa, Gouri Sankar English Medium School, Nayapalli Behera Sahi, Nandan Vihar, Jayadev Vihar Corporation Gali, Paika Nagar, Bishnupriya Appartment, Padma Appartment Gali near Naka Gate, Tirumala Tirupati Kalyan Mandap, Jayadev Vihar, VSS Nagar, Near Ortel Office Chandrasekharpur, Krishna Garden, Acharya Vihar, Padmavati Vihar and Jaydev Vihar Kalyan Mandap.

In the wake of the IMD prediction on the cyclonic storm, BMC in the coordination of all line departments is running a multi-agency control room for 24X7 surveillance of the situation. Nodal officers from BDA, Revenue Department, Public Works Department, Public Health Engineering Organisation, Water Resources Department and Fire Services Departments are part of the multi-agency control room. The multi-agency control room works in three shifts morning 6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm and 10 pm to 6 am.

Citizens from low-lying and vulnerable pockets across the city are registering their complaints through Bhubaneswar Operations Centre 18003450061 and with the Storm Water Control Room (BMC) on 0674-2432281. 

Since midnight all 13 sector officials across the city, engineering teams and monitoring staff comprising local ward officers, community organisers and sanitation staff including those deployed by the private sanitation agencies started their work and it is still continuing till this evening. At many places excavators were put to use to clear water from water-logged areas.

Meanwhile, the displaced from Jagannath Basti, who were relocated to Pandakudia are being given proper shelter at the nearby Madhusudan Upper Primary School, Shyampur. They were also given food and medical care by the city administration.