Odisha Govt Failed In Tackling Titli: Niranjan

Bhubaneswar: The Congress on Friday said that the Odisha government has grossly failed in managing Cyclone Titli.

In a release, president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik said state government had not prepared itself to rescue and evacuate people from the rain and flood-affected areas after the cyclonic storm crossed the coast of Palasa in north Andhra Pradesh early in the morning on October 11.

“The state government is blowing its own trumpet saying that the cyclonic storm has not done a huge loss to life and property of the people contrary to media reports, which show a different picture. Thousands of people in the towns and rural areas are marooned by the flood. They have suffered heavy losses due to the destruction caused by cyclone Titli,” Niranjan said.

The PCC president further said that the state government ignored the IMD forecast of heavy to very heavy rainfall and went in a deep slumber without taking any pre-emptive measures.

“The affected people of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Balasore districts must be rescued and evacuated immediately and provided with food and safe drinking water. Domestic animals should be rescued and taken to safer places,” he demanded.