Odisha Govt Looking At Permanent Solution To House Damage During Cyclones: Suresh Pujari

Bhubaneswar: A total of 1,671 gram panchayats under 108 blocks across 14 districts and 426 wards in 31 urban areas were affected by Cyclone Dana, which made landfall along Odisha coasts in the early hours of October 25, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed on Sunday.

While 8,10,896 people were evacuated to safer places before the cyclone’s landfall, 35,95,000 were directly impacted by it, he told a presser.

Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, and Mayurbhanj were the most severely impacted districts in the state..

Pujari informed that 6,210 relief centre were made operational and cooked food was provided to the people during the storm. “As on 10 am today, 1178 relief centre are operational. This means people have started returning to their homes. The government had earlier announced that cooked food will be provided at these centres for seven days. Those, whose houses have been partially damaged in the storm and provided with polythene sheets, can continue to avail this benefit,” he said.

The minister stated that till Sunday morning, casualties in Cyclone Dana continued to be zero. “Twenty-eight persons suffered snake bites during the cyclone but were revived,” he said.

He informed that power restoration work has almost been completed and 335 medical teams are working in the affected areas.

He said that District Magistrates of the affected districts have been directed to submit the damage report to the Special Relief Commission by November 2. “If the weather permits, the Chief Minister will conduct an aerial survey of the affected areas tomorrow. The damage report will be sent to the Centre. A central team will also visit the state to assess the damages caused by the severe cyclonic storm,” he said.

Pujari said that thatched house often get damaged during storms and are rebuilt only to face the same fate again since is state is prone to cyclones. “There are central and state schemes for providing pucca houses to the poor. However, people are yet to avail these benefits. The Panchayati Raj Department has begun its homework. We will also conduct a survey in the districts prone to cyclones and floods to identify vulnerable houses. Steps will be taken to find a permanent solution to the problem once we receive the report to ensure safety of people during such calamities in coordination with the Centre,” he said.

He informed that Budhabalanga was flowing above the warning sign at 7.56 metre but below the danger level. “The inflow has reduced and slowly the water level will also decrease. Similarly  Kansabansa is stable at 7.86 metre,” he said.

Speaking about the affected Remuna, Sadar and Soro blocks in Balasore district, Pujari said that floodwater has started receding in these areas. “We expect normalcy by evening,” he added.

Downpour under the influence of Cyclone Dana swelled the Budhabalanga river leading to flash floods in Balasore on Saturday. While 26 villages in Balasore Sadar block, under Baincha, Nagram, Sindhia, Gopinath pur, Olanda, Sargaon, Buanla and Odangi Chanua panchayats, were marooned. Around 20 villages in Kalyanpur, Badpal, Mandarpur, Dahapada, Haripur and Nijampur panchayats under Remuna block were also severely impacted by swelling of the Budhabalanga river and its tributary, Son.

On Saturday night, 24 people were rescued in Talagopbindha village under Tihidi police station in Bhadrak district. They were stranded due to rising waters from the swollen Salandi river.