Meet the Odisha cops who braved the fury of Cyclone Fani and rescued many
As Cyclone Fani hit the state of Odisha, rescue officials, the National Disaster Rapid Action Force, and many others plunged into action to evacuate people from affected areas and move them to safe zones.
At present, the state of Odisha is recovering from the fury of Cyclone Fani that has claimed 16 lives so far. The storm had hit the state on Friday at a speed of nearly 180 kmph bringing with it heavy rainfall.
The eastern coast of the state took a beating as all communication was cut off and critical infrastructure was affected. Following the havoc, the state successfully evacuated over a million people into 9,000 shelters in a span of 24 hours.
It was a joint effort by various security forces and government authorities that included the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) agencies.
More than 10,000 volunteers, 2,000 emergency workers, 100,000 officials, and youth clubs worked hand-in-hand with government officials in evacuation operations.
Social media is flooded with images that show various volunteers and officials carrying out the evacuation. Among such pictures, the photo of a policewoman carrying two other women on her motorcycle is going viral for all the right reasons.
(Image: Indian Express)
Also read: In the wake of Cyclone Fani, Odisha emerges a role model in disaster preparedness
According to the Indian Express, the lady cop was from Talchua Police Station in Kendrapara, Odisha. The photo of the lady cop, which was taken during the rescue operation, has garnered a lot of positive reaction on social media platforms.
She wasn’t the only one evacuating people to a nearby shelter. There are also images of a female officer who was seen carrying an elderly woman in her arms to a shelter. Apart from helping the victims, the cops were also seen clearing roads for vehicular movement and providing free food to displaced people, reports News 18.
A police officer carrying a woman on her arms (Image: Indian Express)
Also read: What the world can learn from Odisha, India’s most disaster-ready state
A photograph of Superintendent of Police Pinak Mishra showed him requesting villagers living in cyclone-prone areas to shift to the cyclone shelter house.
The efforts by the state government has been appreciated by the UN for an evacuation operation that had minimum casualties.
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