While Cyclone Yaas was making steady progress and moving towards Odisha Coast, people started panicking. Everyone was speculating its intensity, landfall position and accurate direction. But, there came a tweet from none other than leading Industrialist Mr. Anand Mahindra.

“The state of Odisha and @Naveen_Odisha have handled cyclones in the past with great alertness, preparedness and planning. May your efforts be successful this time too. The prayers and thoughts of the country are with you as Yaas approaches..”

That’s the trust Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has built over the last two decades. The horror of Super Cyclone 1999 is now history. Odisha has successfully established a Disaster Management Model for the whole world to follow. And, it has become possible, thanks to the visionary leadership of CM Naveen Patnaik and his team that leaves no stones unturned to step in and meticulously execute his plan.

‘Ensure Zero Casualty’ – that’s the message from CM Naveen Patnaik whenever Odisha braces for a Cyclone or Floods. Whether Phailin, Hudhud, Titli or Fani, Odisha has successfully saved lakhs of lives due to a strong evacuation mechanism. Either we ensured zero casualty or kept the death toll at bare minimum even if the Cyclone wreak havoc and cause extensive damage to the properties and infrastructure.

As soon as the Cyclone alert came via unofficial sources (Met confirmed much later), CM Naveen Patnaik directed the officials to swing into action. SRC Pradeep Jena, the ‘Man of the Moment’ took the lead and worked round the clock, although he had just recovered from Covid. CM kept reviewing and monitoring the situation and ensured that there was no gap.

The communication system was very robust. Whether alertness, preparedness, evacuation, rescue operation, relief and restoration, there was no laxity. Over 6.5 lakh people were evacuated to safety. With the relentless efforts of the CM, Senior officials, District Administrations and other officials and personnel at the ground, Odisha successfully tackled the Cyclone.

It’s not just the victory of Naveen Patnaik and his Government. It’s the victory of 4.5 crore Odias who are blessed by Mahaprabhu Jagannath.