Block-Level Preparatory Meeting for Tsunami Alert Mock Drill
Awareness, alertness, and prior preparedness are most important: Preparatory meeting held for block-level tsunami alert mock drill.
Kakatpur (Tushar Ranjan Dixit) – 03/11:
Just like floods and cyclones, a tsunami is also a devastating natural disaster, which can cause significant loss of life and property. Tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes under the sea, which generate massive waves that hit the coast with great force, leaving little to no time for response without prior preparation.
To mitigate such risks and safeguard life and property, a preparatory meeting was organized at the Astaranga block conference hall in Puri district as per the directions of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Astaranga Block BDO Shri Karndev Samaddar.
Present at the meeting were Astaranga Block Chairperson Arati Nayak, Astaranga Tehsildar Priyanka Priyadarshini Pati, Additional BDO Yogendra Mahakud, and Block Vice Chairperson Dhrijaya Mishra. They shared information related to the organization of the block-level mock drill.
Tehsildar Priyanka Priyadarshini Pati elaborated on topics such as what a tsunami is, why undersea earthquakes occur, and how such seismic activity causes tidal waves that turn into devastating tsunamis, leading to major damage in coastal inhabited areas.
She noted that although Odisha has not experienced a tsunami so far, there is no guarantee that it will not occur in the future—citing the 2004 tsunami in Tamil Nadu which caused massive destruction.
As the coastal villages of Keutajangha and Tandahar in Astaranga block are adjacent to the sea, it was decided that like every year, a tsunami alert mock drill will also be organized this year in those locations.
The meeting was attended by various departmental officials and all employees of the block.
