The Odisha government has decided to install 360-degree surveillance cameras along the coastline to augment its weather monitoring systems, Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari has said. Pujari said the state recently witnessed simultaneous flooding in several rivers, including the Mahanadi, Salandi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga, Devi and Jalaka.
“Such simultaneous flooding in multiple river systems reflects the changing weather pattern and climate change,” he said. The minister said the state would modernise all 122 Early Warning System towers installed along Odisha’s 573-km coastline by equipping them with 360-degree surveillance cameras.
The towers will also be upgraded with satellite-based communication systems,” he added.
Pujari said the government is strengthening communication infrastructure across all 314 blocks by integrating high-speed communication technologies with the central control room to improve disaster response.
“Senior officials of the department have already visited Goa and Kerala to study their advanced early warning systems and disaster management practices,” he said.
The Doppler Weather Radar at Sambalpur has become operational, while new radars at Balasore and Bhubaneswar are expected to be commissioned shortly. Repair and upgradation of the existing radars at Gopalpur and Paradip are underway, and another Doppler Weather Radar will soon be installed at Puri,” he added.
Pujari said that once all these Doppler Weather Radars become fully operational, weather forecasting in Odisha will become significantly more accurate and precise. He said the government has also decided to strengthen reservoir management, water conservation, river water allocation and drainage management.
