Kendrapara: The district is getting ready to install a mechanism to warn people residing along the coastal villages about impending natural disasters such as tsunami and cyclone.

Installation of 22 early warning dissemination system (EWDS) towers is on in full swing. The administration is all set to commission the ambitious project on January 15. The siren-warning project is coming up under World Bank assistance.

These siren towers set up in vulnerable pockets along the sea would become operational within a fortnight.

The revenue and disaster management department is undertaking the job.

The system will strengthen the early warning mechanism in the seaside areas of the district. The system will have an automatic public address system.

It will help save lives and properties in the face of cyclone or tsunami, said additional district magistrate Dhananjay Swain.

The district is vulnerable to cyclone and tsunami. Sixty-four coastal pockets of the district have been identified as tsunami-prone area. The district had borne the brunt of a severe cyclone in October 29, 1999. More than 300 lives were lost in the natural calamity that destroyed huge amount of property as well.

The siren could be heard in localities situated at a radius of 1.5km. In Rajnagar and Mahakalpada blocks, 22 siren towers are nearing completion. The towers are expected to start functioning on January 15, said an official.

The siren system near the coast will cover tourist places, fish landing centres and coastal habitations. Once the alert is sounded, people would start moving to safer places before government agencies start evacuation.

Odisha is the first state in the country to have developed automatic public address system that can be activated along its entire coast.

Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh is also building up similar alert systems to tackle natural calamities, said a top official of revenue and disaster management department.

2 held for hunting

Forest officials arrested two persons on charges of hunting barking deer under Jharigaon forest range in Nabarangpur district on Sunday.

The arrested person has been identified as, Ratan Gouda and Hari Gouda, of Laduapada village in Jharigaon block.

Jharigaon forest range officer Mukund Dishari said the accused confessed to the crime during the interrogation.