Berhampur: Ganjam district administration on Saturday cancelled the leaves of govt employees and asked them to remain present at their respective workplaces till Oct 29 as the weather system over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a well-marked low-pressure area.The system is projected to escalate into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by Monday morning and intensify further while approaching north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha by Oct 28 morning, the IMD has forecast. Under its influence, Ganjam is likely to be affected and receive heavy rainfall. The weather agency has issued a red alert.As a precautionary measure, Ganjam district administration on Saturday held a preparatory meeting at Chhatrapur. Collector (Ganjam) Keerthi Vasan V has directed the govt staff to prepare all cyclone and temporary shelters. “We have the capacity to accommodate 1.5 lakh people in 110 multipurpose cyclone shelters and 1,000 identified temporary shelter centres,” said the collector. “If required, people in coastal villages and low-lying areas will be evacuated and housed in the shelters,” he said.In the district, nine ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) and two teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) have been stationed to tackle potential flooding and rain-related incidents. Fire services personnel are also on alert. A control room has been opened in Chhatrapur.Engineers of the water resources department have been asked to identify vulnerable points and take necessary steps for the safety of river embankments and reservoirs. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea from Saturday till Oct 30 as the sea would remain rough during the period. The fishermen, who are out in the sea, have been asked to return immediately, said the collector.The collector has asked civic bodies to clean drains before the heavy rain starts to prevent urban flooding. During the heavy rain in the first week of Oct, several areas in Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) were marooned.