The Odisha government has prepared about 800 cyclone shelters for people who will be evacuated from areas that are at risk of becoming severe cyclonic storms, as the well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday and moved towards the eastern coast with the potential to become a severe cyclonic storm.

On Tuesday, Suresh Pujari, the minister of revenue and disaster management for Odisha, said that authorities had already visited 250 cyclone relief centers, which would lodge the victims after evacuation. According to him, supplies such as food, water, medication, power, and other necessities are kept ready in case the storm forces people to escape.

The minister said that in addition to the 800 cyclone shelters, 500 temporary shelters, including schools and universities, had been prepared. According to him, ground-level authorities have been directed to provide for women in cyclone shelters where female police would be stationed.

He claimed that in order to guarantee “zero casualties” in the next storm, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has emphasized the need for a complete evacuation of people from regions that are at risk. According to the minister, a list of pregnant women who are anticipated to give birth in two weeks has also been compiled by the government. To prevent any problems during the disaster, all of those ladies are being sent to the adjacent hospital.

According to the minister, some individuals are afraid to leave their homes since they have been robbed. According to him, the police have been ordered to increase patrols in the areas where residents would be sent to cyclone shelters.

When asked about what would happen if the cyclone deviated from the IMD’s prediction, the minister said that the state government has also looked into such a possibility. It has been seen in the past that cyclones alter their predicted path. Therefore, the state administration has previously chosen certain locations and established equivalent preparations in susceptible areas while taking into account the possibilities. Nine districts are under a red alert, while several districts are under an orange warning due to excessive rain. Thus, in this respect, there should be no anxiety,” the minister said.

Bijay Kumar Mohapatra, the director of health services for Odisha, said that the government has halted the health care personnel’s leaves. In cyclone shelters, where people are housed after evacuation, necessary medications such as those for fever, diarrhea, snake venom, and other common illnesses are kept on hand. Aside from this, the people are given access to clean drinking water in consideration of the potential spread of water-borne illnesses in places that may have been impacted by cyclones.

Energy secretary Hemant Sharma said that plans have been put in place by the Energy Department to guarantee an electrical supply as soon as possible after the storm. Usha Padhee, secretary of the department of urban development, has instructed department staff and civic organizations to take action against water logging and guarantee that everyone has access to clean drinking water everywhere.