Bhubaneswar: On their return from West Bengal cyclone restoration duty, 372 personnel of Odisha Fire Service, were Saturday sent to two quarantine centres here as part of the COVID-19 protocol, official sources said.
The personnel of Odisha Fire Service and ODRAF on their arrival from cyclone Amphan restoration duty in West Bengal, have been sent to 14-day mandatory quarantine as agreed earlier, said Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena.
The Health and Family Welfare department will monitor their health status in the quarantine centres, he said.
Before their arrival, the state government had already arranged two quarantine centres at Krupajal Engineering College campus at Uttara and Revenue Officers Training Institute, Gothapatana Road in Bhubaneswar, officials said.
Earlier, the team members on Friday were received at Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Institute, Naraj, Cuttack by DG, Fire Services, Satyajit Mohanty and other officials.
The Odisha Fire Service personnel have helped the West Bengal government restore normalcy in the cyclone-hit Kolkata amid the Covid-19 health pandemic.
The state government had rushed men and machinery to West Bengal after cyclone Amphan made landfall in Sunderbans May 20 and caused extensive damage to Kolkata and its adjoining areas.
The team members were equipped with all types of disaster response equipment like power saws, tower lights, combi-tools, bolt cutters. They were divided into 30 sub-teams with 10 members each, headed by one station officer, and deployed in 16 municipal boroughs of Kolkata.
The Odisha Team cleared all main roads of Kolkata city within two days by removing uprooted trees and electric pole. They too cleared all sub-ways of the city of joy. Even trees falling on private buildings were removed by them, the official said.
The Fire Service personnel, according to official sources, have cleared around 2,550 uprooted trees and electric poles at 717 places falling on the road.
“The brave hearts made the state proud. They will be observing quarantine protocol. Thanks Kolkata Municipal Corporation for giving an opportunity to stand by you at difficult time,” DG Fire Service Satyajit Mohanty said.
In a letter of appreciation, Firhad Hakim, chairperson of Board of Administrators of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, said: “Odisha Fire Service on the request of state government came forward to assist KMC at this difficult time. The Odisha Fire Service comprising 300 personnel … , acted in a very professional manner with full dedication and commitment and assisted to overcome the crisis, to save the people of Kolkata from the misery inflicted by such a devastating calamity.”
“On behalf of the citizens of Kolkata, I wish to thank and appreciate the efforts of the team from our neighbouring state,” the letter said.
PNN/Agencies