Cyclone Titli: Toll in Odisha rises to 26; flood situation improves marginally

Bhubaneshwar, Oct 16: The Death toll in Odisha due to Cyclone Titli and subsequent floods rises to 26.

Addressing media, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said,''Over 57.08 lakh people in 7402 villages in 16 districts are affected. Over 3.6 lakh people evacuated to safer places & relief centres. Around 2.34 lakh hectares crops have been damaged.''

A total of 151 roads in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts got completely damaged whereas 1.48 lakh hectares of paddy crop were destroyed in the natural calamity.

The Odisha government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the Next of Kin of the deceased.

Meanwhile, health experts have warned of an epidemic outbreak in Ganjam district. "There are chances of getting infected by water and vector-borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, hepatitis A and E in the affected areas," an unidentified health expert told PTI.