Bhubaneswar, Sept 18: A high-level review meeting on Odisha’s disaster preparedness and management was held at the conference hall of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) at Rajiv Bhavan, under the chairmanship of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari.
Emphasising the need to further strengthen the state’s disaster management infrastructure, Minister Pujari urged people not to panic over weather- or disaster-related developments and advised them to rely only on information issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and other authorised government sources.
Reviewing the latest weather situation, the minister said that an upper-air cyclonic circulation was prevailing over North Thailand as of 8:30 am on September 18, 2026, extending up to 9.4 km above mean sea level. The system is likely to move into the North Andaman Sea by the evening of September 18, with a low-pressure area likely to form over the region by the evening of September 19.
According to the assessment presented at the meeting, the system may gradually intensify and move west-northwestwards during the subsequent three to four days towards the South Odisha–North Andhra Pradesh coast. However, its exact track and intensity are expected to become clearer over the next two days.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department is maintaining close coordination with the IMD to monitor the evolving weather system. The minister appealed to the public not to be alarmed by unverified or misleading reports circulating through various channels and to follow official weather updates for information and safety advisories.
Pujari said the state government was fully prepared to deal with any eventuality, including prolonged rainfall, thunderstorms or heavy to very heavy rain. District Collectors have been directed to remain alert and take necessary precautionary measures.
The minister also noted that around 11 deep depressions and four low-pressure systems had developed during the past two months, resulting in prolonged spells of rainfall across the state.
Meanwhile, the assessment of flood-related damage during the current year has been completed, and the distribution of compensation has reached its final stage. Around ₹226 crore has already been disbursed towards compensation for various categories of damage, including damaged houses, crop losses, destruction of vegetables, clothing and household utensils. The remaining compensation is expected to be distributed shortly, the minister said.
Arrangements are also being made for the restoration and rehabilitation of agricultural land affected by sand deposition following the floods.
The meeting also discussed measures to address urban flooding caused by prolonged rainfall. OSDMA is set to work in coordination with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee on surveys and management strategies aimed at improving urban flood preparedness and control.
Special Relief Commissioner and Managing Director of OSDMA Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, along with senior officials of the department, attended the meeting.
