Flood situation improves, Odisha seeks Rs 1,590 cr assistance

Bhubaneswar, Oct 28: With water level receding in all major rivers,

government today said there was no flood fear even as the state government sought an additional central assistance of Rs 1,590 crore for

and restoration works.

The demand for additional assistance for the 13 flood hit districts was made in a supplementary memorandum submitted to a visiting inter-ministerial team, which began its tour to assess the damage caused during cyclone Phailin and floods.

Earlier, the state government had demanded a central assistance of Rs 4,242.41 crore towards the damage caused by cyclone Phailin and resultant floods between October 12 and October 16.

"We will visit the worst cyclone hit Ganjam, Puri, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts," leader of the team Rashmi Goyal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home, told reporters. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC)
P K Mohapatra said as many as 81.30 lakh people of 13 districts were hit by the second phase of flood due to low pressure induced rainfall in coastal and southern region of the state.

While 4.07 lakh houses have been damaged in the flood, crop loss is reported from 1.98 lakh hectare of cultivable land. At least 15 people have died in the second phase floods, Mohapatra said, adding the first phase had claimed 23 lives, while the cyclone Phailin claimed 21 lives.

"Therefore, a total of 59 people have died in the twin calamities which struck Odisha between October 12 to October 26," the SRC said. Mohapatra, however, said that water level of rivers Subarnarekha, Jalaka and Budhabalang remained steady.

"There is no fear of fresh flood now," he said, adding that water level has receded in rivers of Kusumi, Dahuka, Duat, Brutang, Kuanria, Lun and Jhara. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed the flood situation today, has asked the district authorities of 11 flood affected districts except Ganjam and Balasore, to complete relief distribution works by October 31.

A new date will be fixed for Ganjam and Balasore districts as flood water still remained in some villages. As the people of Ganjam district continued to remain in dark since cyclone Phailin hit them on October 12, the state Energy department said it would be able to restore power by November 8. With weather condition improving, all the schools and colleges across the state, barring Ganjam district, re-opened today after Puja vacation.

PTI