Odisha organises mini-marathon to create disaster management awareness

A mini-marathon to create awareness on disaster reduction and disaster management among the masses was organised by Odisha State Disaster Management Authority in collaboration with the Department of Sports and Youth Services on Tuesday. Each year, the state government organises such events to remind people about the 1999 Odisha cyclone which was the most intense recorded tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean and had caused massive destruction in the region. Nearly 10,000 people lost their lives in then cyclone fury.

'We assemble and remind ourselves to work efficiently'

"20 years back, many lives were lost in a super cyclone. People at that time were not aware of how to cope up with the cyclone. On this day, each year, we assemble and remind ourselves to work efficiently to reduce the impact of the disaster on community and minimised the disaster," said PK Jena, Special Relief Commissioner Odisha.

'State officials are all trained to battle disasters'

Revenue Minister of Odisha Sudam Marandi talking on the issue told news agency ANI that all the state officials are well equipped and trained to combat the natural disasters anytime. "We now have new technologically, which alerts us about the heavy rainfall, cyclone etc. Our State officials are all trained to battle the disaster. During Fany also, we have done a lot of restoration and rehabilitation work. Such events help to make people aware of the natural disaster and how to tackle it. We also conduct orientation programmes in villages as well as cities."

'Such programmes are relevant for local community'

Notably, a couple of school students also took part in the mini-marathon and expressed happiness after gaining knowledge about the dos and don't's during the cyclone. "I met a lot of new people today during the event, I have also gained a lot of knowledge about the natural disaster, its causes and how we can reduce it. In Odisha, the population is increasing, so such kind of programmes are relevant for the local community," said Laxmipriya, a school student.

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Destructive heavy rains in Odisha 

The toll in the heavy rains in Odisha has mounted to six with three fresh deaths reported from the districts, officials said on Saturday. The State has been battered by heavy rains since October 23 under the impact of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. It claimed human lives, caused extensive damage to crops and properties, threw life out of gear in many districts, caused severe waterlogging and local flooding in low-lying areas.

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(With ANI inputs)