With imminent threat of Cyclone 'Hudhud' looming large, Malkangiri district administration in Odisha is gearing up precautionary measures to deal with the situation.
"We have appealed to all people staying in thatched and kutcha houses in inaccessible areas of the district to move to nearby cyclone shelters", district collector D Prasant Kumar Reddy said.
The message is being spread through public announcement systems and the media to make the people aware of the possible impact of the cyclone, he said.
A total 227 cyclone shelters have been set up in all seven blocks of the district including four shelters atop the Bonda hills.
At Mudulipada High School, 700 endangered Bonda tribals belonging to Tulaguram and Badaiguda under Mudulipada and Andrahal have been shifted.
Efforts are being made to shift other Bonda tribals to safety before the cyclone hits the coast, he said.
Similar measures have been made in the cut-off area across the Chitrakonda reservoir and an officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) entrusted with the job of ensuring safety of the inhabitants there.
Reddy said personnel of the ODRAF and NDRF deployed at vulnerable places and fire brigade staff were on standby at Kudumulguma, Padia, Chitrakonda, Balimenal and Malkangiri.
Besides, the administration suspended motor launch and country boat service in several rivers criss-crossing the district.
The boats were used to ferry ration to inaccessible areas across the rivers, the collector said.
A 24-hour control room was functioning at the district headquarter to monitor the situation.
