Tag: Kendrapara

Odisha: In Kendrapara’s Triangular Contest, Water Woes May Influence Poll Outcome

BJP national vice-president Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda is locked in a triangular contest with BJD candidate Anshuman Mohanty and Congress’s Siddharth Swarup Das.

Kendrapara (Odisha): With rivers and creeks criss-crossing the constituency, where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice-president Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda is locked in a triangular contest with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Anshuman Mohanty and Congress’s Siddharth Swarup Das, Kendrapara is facing a plethora of problems which are bound to impact the outcome of this battle.

Even though a victory in Kendrapara, widely perceived to be a non-Congress and non-BJP seat, remains a prestige issue for chief minister Naveen Patnaik given his soured relations with Panda who won the seat on a BJD ticket in 2009 and 2014 before losing in 2019 on a BJP ticket by over 1,81,000 votes, things this time are unlikely to be easy for the regional party.

Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty

This is mainly on account of the changed situation on the ground, where an undercurrent for change is clearly visible, with growing resentment against the Patnaik government over its failure to address the drinking water crisis haunting the vast rural belt. Fishermen too are up in arms over the falling catch, with creeks becoming increasingly infested with crocodiles and the government imposing restrictions on fishing. The problem of connectivity is acute in many seaside settlements, with bridges yet to be constructed over creeks and rivers at several points.

The boat ride from Kharnasi to Batighar situated on the opposite sides of a crocodile-infested creek is perilous, to say the least. But hundreds of people including women and children are forced to undertake this journey daily as the popular demand for a bridge here is yet to be met. “A bridge at this point is an absolute necessity. People have been asking for it for decades now but there is complete apathy on the part of the government,” said Simant Maiti, a Bengali settler in Batighar.

In several villages falling under the Mahakalapada assembly segment of the constituency, an acute drinking water crisis has erupted, with water levels in the wells going down alarmingly and hand-pumps producing saline water, a result of the area’s proximity to the sea. “Sometimes we have to trek a few kilometres to fetch potable water. The situation is worsening,” grumbled 60-year-old Jagatbandhu, who had travelled to Batighar from Barkanata village looking for a solution to the problem.

Boats in Kharnasi where fishing is a way of life but people are worried about falling catch. Photo: Ashutosh Mishra

Fishing is the chief occupation for people in seaside villages, which have a sizeable population of Bengali settlers who migrated here decades ago from West Bengal and even Bangladesh and built houses in areas like Batighar, Jambu, Ramnagar and Kharnasi. But fish catch has been falling consistently for the last few decades, with the state government imposing restrictions on fishing in the sea for nearly seven months every year to protect the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. There is a year-round ban on fishing in the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary which borders most of these villages, which have seen cases of suicide by frustrated fishermen. “We have discussed the issue several times with the government but a viable solution is yet to come up. Compensation being offered to the fisherfolk for their livelihood loss because of restrictions on fishing is just not adequate,” said Narayan Haldar, a highly respected fishing community leader in Kharnasi.

There is resentment among the settlers also, on account of the alleged refusal of government officials to collect revenue tax (khajana) from them for the land on which they have been living for last several decades. “We have been living here since the 1960s. Until last year we were paying tax for our land but now they are not accepting this. We are being treated as encroachers. We are being told that new laws have been passed,” said Krushna Mandal in Batighar, looking visibly agitated. Inquiries with local officials failed to throw up an answer, but the impression one gathered was that most of these migrants had settled down on encroached land for which they had later got documents made with the help of local politicians who have been patronising them as a vote bank.

It is these people who are rooting for change, in the hope that a new government will address their problems and offer them legitimacy so that they can enjoy the same rights and privileges as others. However, a section of them still have sympathy for the ruling party as its welfare schemes, especially the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), have benefited them immensely. “No other party has ever given us cheap rice. It can sustain us in the most difficult situations. The BSKY cards are of great help and they have raised the limit for women to Rs ten lakh,” said Bidyadhar Das, a fisherman in Kharnasi.

While BJP campaigners appear to have tried their best to convince people that Panda will be made a minister at the Centre in the event of winning this contest and hence can be of great help to them, there is still a lot of sympathy for the young BJD candidate Anshuman Mohanty, a former Congress MLA who joined the regional party on the eve of the polls. The sympathy for him is mainly on account of his late father Nalini Kant Mohanty’s good work in Rajnagar, which is a part of this Lok Sabha constituency. A founding member of the BJD, the senior Mohanty represented Rajnagar several times in the state assembly, the last time on a Congress ticket after he fell out with chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Boats and a boat ambulance on a crocodile-infested creek. Photo: Ashutosh Mishra

Anshuman is seen as the successor to his father’s political legacy and the BJD welcomed him with open arms when he decided to make the switch. “His father is a well-known figure in the area. His own sincerity has never been in doubt. We were extremely happy when we learnt that he has joined BJD and been made the party candidate from the constituency,” said party sympathiser Akshaya Das, who is confident the BJD will emerge victorious again.

Statistics also appear to be in favour of the Naveen Patnaik-led party in Kendrapara. The seat has been a non-Congress bastion since the ’70s. While the BJP has never ever won from here, currently all the seven assembly seats falling under this Lok Sabha constituency are being held by the BJD. “Our party’s victory margin last time was over 1.80 lakh votes. We hope to better the record this time,” said Das.

Odisha Begins Restoration as Cyclone Yaas Leaves Behind Trail of Destruction

Two deaths, one each from Keonjhar and Balasore, have been reported but are yet to be confirmed. Major power disruption took place in coastal districts of the state.

Bhubaneswar: The severe cyclonic storm Yaas that struck Odisha coast near Dhamra in Bhadrak district, about 400 kms from here on Wednesday morning, has left behind a trail of destruction.

It has caused widespread damage to thatched houses, standing crops and trees in the rural belt of Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts.

There were reports of two deaths — one from Keonjhar and another from Balasore — both caused by the falling of trees but these are yet to be confirmed by the administration. Special relief commissioner P.K. Jena said that district collectors have been asked to submit reports. However, damage to property has been reported from many coastal districts where the high-velocity winds caused by the cyclone also led to disruption of the power supply. Officials said that while assessment of the damages will take sometime the current focus was on relief and rehabilitation.

Restoration work also commenced immediately in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Mayurbhanj districts with 52 units of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 66 units Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 180 units of fire personnel deployed in these areas swinging into action to clear roads which had been blocked by fallen trees and blown thatched roofs. Forest and environment department has also sent around 200 teams with expertise in tree cutting to ensure that there is no major disruption of road communication due to the uprooting of trees and such other obstacles.

NDRF personnel clearing a road in Bhadrak, Odisha, after cyclone Yaas hit the state on Wednesday, May 26. Photo: Twitter.

The bigger challenge for the administration, however, is tackling the threat of flash floods and severe waterlogging which has occurred in several areas of Balasore and Bhadrak close to the sea coast. As Yaas touched the Odisha coast around 9 am on Wednesday, hide tides aided by strong onshore winds led to the inundation of severe seaside villages in Dharma in Bhadrak district and in the Talsara panchayat of Balasore’s Jaleswar block.

Dhamra, where an important port is located, was the worst hit by the cyclone which made landfall to the north of this seaside settlement. Though fortunately for the people of Odisha the wind velocity of the cyclone ranged between 130 kilometre per hour ( kmph) to 150 kmph instead of between 145 kmph to 185 kmph as predicted earlier, the strong winds still caused a lot of damage to mud and thatched houses and also to fishing boats.

The bigger problem, however, was the heavy rain that accompanied the winds. Torrential rains hit all the four districts — Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara — which had been identified as most vulnerable to the gale. Rains also caused widespread damage in the northern district of Mayurbhanj through which the system moved towards Jharkhand. While the Kusumi area of Mayurbhaj recorded a rainfall of 304 mm some areas in Bhadrak, Kenndrapara and Jagatsinhpur recorded a rainfall of more than 250 mm.

In view of the extremely heavy rainfall, a red warning has been issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts, and a yellow warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall in the four western districts of Angul, Deogarh, Sundargarh and Sambalpur. This has led to the fear of flash floods for which district collectors have been on alert.

Also read: Cyclone Yaas Makes Landfall Over Odisha, Destroys Thousands of Mud Homes

While wind speed in most of the affected Odisha districts will continue to be high till Thursday morning when the cyclone dissipates and turns into a deep depression hitting neighbouring Jharkhand, the threat from tidal surges will remain for some more time in the seaside settlements. In fact, at one or two places high waves from the sea have caused breaches in saline embankments resulting in the inundation of low-lying areas. Senior government officials said that saline inundation had been reported from Dhamra area of Bhadrak district and Bahanaga, Remuna, Baliapal and Balasore town of Balasore district. People cut roads at several places to reduce water-logging.

Restoration work is in full swing in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. “National Disaster Response Force and State fire service personnel started road clearance by removing uprooted trees in the affected areas. Power restoration work has also begun on a war-footing,” said special relief commissioner P.K. Jena.

The administration, which had moved around 5.80 people from vulnerable areas in the coastal belt to around 7,000 cyclone shelters, is also taking care to ensure that those in need get relief such as dry food in time. Local-level officials have been asked to take care of any exigency. Besides, extra care is being taken to ensure that people in cyclone shelters follow COVID norms.

“All these shelters were properly sanitised before moving people there. Medical teams were deployed at each of them and care was taken to ensure that people wore masks and maintained proper social distance. Pregnant and expecting mothers were taken to community health centres. In serious cases, they were shifted to hospitals,” said a senior official.

Odisha being used to natural disasters like cyclones has put its experience to good use with advance planning. The state government, which had started preparing for the cyclone right from the day the IMD warned it about a storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal, had not only deployed teams of NDRF, ODRAF and fire personnel to take care of exigencies, it had also deputed five senior IAS and IPS officers to manage the situation in the five most vulnerable districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj. Minister of state for home, Dibyashankar Mishra, who also handles the energy portfolio, had been asked to camp in Balasore.

Odisha: Cyclone Amphan Compounds Miseries of Those Reeling from Effect of Lockdown

Those who have lost their sources of livelihood due to the lockdown will need continued help from the government to rebuild their lives, locals say.

Bhubaneswar: Super cyclone Amphan, which barrelled through the Odisha coast on Wednesday leaving behind a trail of destruction in the shape of damaged houses, uprooted trees and flattened electricity poles, has compounded the miseries of the poor already reeling from the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Struggling to make ends meet after losing their sources of livelihood due to the shutdown of all economic activities, daily wage earners and other economically vulnerable sections are now faced with another challenge – the task of rebuilding their damaged houses.

Bibek Swain is a farmer from Khadikadanda village, which falls under the Kusupur gram panchayat of Jagatsinghpur district. Along with Kendrapara and Balasore, this district bore the brunt of the gale that hit the Odisha coast with wind speeds reaching 120 km per hour. “Almost every house in our panchayat has suffered damage of some or other kind. Mud and thatched houses have been damaged extensively,” Swain said.

He added that the poor have been especially affected, saying even if the government comes forward to support them, it will be difficult for them to rebuild their lives.

Torrential rains added to the woes of the people, especially those living in low-lying areas. Official sources said around 1.25 lakh people were evacuated to safety from vulnerable areas ahead of the cyclone.

Swain, whose vegetable crop has suffered extensive damage, cited the case of two migrant workers, Ganesh Swain and Nabin Mallick, who had returned recently from Kolkata, where they worked as welders in a now-defunct iron foundry. He said they are now lodged in a quarantine centre within the gram panchayat area. “Both come from poor families in the neighbouring Tentulibelari village. The cyclone has left their families devastated. How can they repair their damaged houses when they don’t have enough to eat?” asked Swain.

Such cases abound on the coast, especially in Jagatsinghpur district which had also borne the brunt of state’s first super-cyclone in 1999. Ersama block development officer (BDO), Kailash Chandra Behera said power infrastructure had suffered extensive damage, plunging the entire area into darkness.

A scientist at India Meteorological Department Earth System Science Organisation, points to a section of the screen showing the position of the Cyclone Amphan in Kolkata, May 19, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri

Damage to betel vines

Behera added that the biggest blow to the local farmers was the destruction of the betel vines, their main source of income. The area supplies betel leaves to cities like Varanasi, Allahabad, Delhi and Mumbai, with an annual turnover estimated to run into crores of rupees.

“The cyclone has played havoc with betel vines in Dhinkia, Gadakujang and Nuagaon panchayats, where people depend heavily on it as a source of livelihood,” said Behera, adding that around 6,000 people who had been moved to special cyclone shelters are being fed through free kitchens being run by the local sarpanches with government assistance.

Sarpanch of Gadakujang, Sampad Kumar Barik, said he was doing his best to help the cyclone-affected people but his best may not be enough. “Last night, we gave flattened rice, biscuits and jaggery to around 500 people. This afternoon they were served ‘dalma’ (a dish of lentils mixed with vegetables) and rice. But those who have suffered extensive damage to betel vines are going to need this kind of support for a longer time. We, too, are under stress. The government has not reimbursed us for the expenditure we incurred on running free kitchens in the wake of cyclone Fani last year,” said Barik. The BDO, on the other hand, denied the charge. He said money has not been paid to the sarpanches as they had failed to submit expenditure vouchers.

The situation was worse in parts of Kendrapara district, where the administration mounted a major evacuation exercise ahead of the cyclone to avoid any casualties. More than 32,000 people were evacuated to safety from different parts of the district which has a long coastline and remains prone to natural calamities like cyclones. In Marshaghai block of the district, 150 people had to be shifted even from COVID-19 quarantine centres as these structures were not considered safe. Marshaghai block development officer (BDO), Sridhar Biswal said these people were shifted from asbestos roof houses to  RCC (reinforced cement concrete) roof houses to ensure their safety.

However, retired forest officer, Bipin Behari Behera, who now lives in Sasanipada village under Kendrapara’s Marshaghai block, said the local high school where some of the inmates of a quarantine centre had been lodged to protect them from the ferocity of the cyclone was not safe at all. “The roof is not strong and the school does not even have proper toilets and drinking water facilities. They have been moved to many such places in a hurry,” remarked Behera.

Also read: Cyclone Amphan Begins Landfall Process: Heavy Rains, High Velocity Winds in Coastal Odisha, WB

Former Balikuda MLA Dr Lalatendu Mohapatra said while the government was correct to move people to safety before the cyclone’s landfall, it was not implemented properly at the ground level. “The government knows very well that it depends heavily on panchayat level representatives to deal with such situations. But it still did not take steps to keep them happy and well equipped to deal with the crisis. Many of the sarpanches who are yet to be compensated for the expenses incurred on running free kitchens during cyclone Fani last year were reluctant to show the same kind of generosity towards the cyclone-hit people this time. Besides they wanted to avoid having to deal with large gatherings as the fear of the spread of COVID-19 continues to play on their minds,” said Mohapatra.

The bigger challenge for the government, according to Mohapatra, would be providing livelihood opportunities to the cyclone-hit poor who were already struggling to eke out a living in the wake of coronavirus-induced lockdown. “The government keeps making big claims about creating jobs but so far there are no jobs in sight and the poor continue to struggle. It is like the government’s claim about arranging transport for migrant labourers passing through Odisha, but still thousands of them continue to walk daily. Let’s be realistic and let the government keep its promises,” averred the former MLA.

Sanjay Mohapatra, a Gadkujang-based social worker agrees. “The harsh truth is that the miseries heaped on the people by the coronavirus pandemic have aggravated due to the cyclone. The poor cannot survive on empty promises,” he said.

Ground Report | Cyclone Fani: The Trail of Destruction

The devastating damage to Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Khurda has left millions homeless.

Bhubaneswar: While hosting the Hockey World Cup five months ago, Bhubaneswar was the envy of every visiting tourist that gushed over its tree-lined avenues, new bus stops and walkways, natural green cover, clean residential neighbourhoods wrapping themselves around ancient temples and its neat layout.

Today, the city is heartbroken.

Half of its trees have been uprooted, its lampposts twisted and shattered glass and torn aluminium sheets lie strewn everywhere. Come evening, many parts of the city sink into darkness with no electricity and water. There’s also no network.

Also read: Cyclone Fani: Govt Mounts Massive Restoration Work as Death Toll Rises to 16

Making landfall on the morning of May 3, Cyclone Fani tore through Puri town, home of Lord Jagannath, with speeds reaching more than 200 kmph. The damage can be gauged from the fact that the city’s railway
station will not be operational till May 10, according to the East Coast Railway. And what would be of greater anguish for many Odias are reports of damage to the 12th century Jagannath temple itself.

The untimely tropical cyclone hit Khorda district and capital city Bhubaneswar with far greater intensity than anticipated. It snapped electricity poles, brought down massive cranes and trees, carried the fiberglass dome at AIIMS off with it as well as the railways station’s roof, damaged the Biju Patnaik International Airport and even turned cars turtle inside a city showroom.

The devastating damage to Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Khurda has left millions homeless. With the breakdown of telecom services (with the partial exception of BSNL and Jio), it has been just as stressful for people outside of Odisha to check in on their near and dear ones.

A view of the destruction caused by cyclone Fans in Puri, as seen on May 3, 2019. Credit: PTI

Mass evacuation helped decrease the human causalities. As per official reports, the death toll is at 34 so far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited Odisha on May 6, announced Rs 1,000 crore relief after an arial survey of the affected area with chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Also read: Cyclone Fani: Death Toll Rises to 34, CM Patnaik Announces Relief Package

Power infrastructure worth Rs 1,200 crore has been damaged, leaving more than 30 lakh electricity consumers affected in the state, said state energy secretary Hemanta Sharma. He expects these figure to rise after the final assessment.

Efforts to restore power supply to normalcy will take more than one week, according to the government, which has committed to restoring 25% of the power outage in Bhubaneswar in the first phase. This may take longer in Puri, which bore the brunt of the cyclone.

Most households in the state capital depend on borewells, and without electricity there is no water to pump. “Generator suppliers are charging Rs 1,000 for per hour. Sustaining in Bhubaneswar has became really difficult,” said Sandip Mishra, a resident of Sahid Nagar.

The government has deployed 78 water tankers to supply drinking water. It is being pumped from two stations at Palasuni and Bhuasuni – which provide drinking water to 40% areas in the city. The station at Mundali, which provides drinking water to 60% areas of the city, has been badly affected, and is yet to be restored.

All 48 fire services units – comprising of 350 fire fighters – are busy removing trees and restoring access to every part of the city. A problem that the city now faces is that much of its labour workforce, under the circumstances, has headed home. Bhubaneswar is short of manpower to help it get back on its feet – even hotels, restaurants have thin staff.

Also read: Cyclone Fani: Death Toll Rises to 34, CM Patnaik Announces Relief Package

The frustration of being without power and water in summer season has forced many to leave the city. Neha Jha, a guest faculty at Ramadevi University, has moved with her family to Rourkela where her father works. “Water tank and pipes of Manorama apartment near have been broken. With no signs of it being fixed soon, we decided to shift to Rourkela.”

That isn’t an option of Vinay Kumar from Patna, who is studying engineering in the city’s Konark institute. The small apartment he rents has had no electricity or water for two days. His exams are scheduled for the seventh and he isn’t sure if they will be postponed.

A bird’s eye view of the destruction caused by the cyclone, a day after it landfall, as part of the aerial surveillance conducted by the Coast Guard Dornier aircrafts in Puri, on May 4, 2019. Credit: PTI

Digital India is also failing miserably with ATM machines not dispensing money. Diwakar Meher, who was visiting the city from Uttar Pradesh hit every ATM outlet on Janpath Road. “We need money to buy food and water. Most shops are shut, only a few small vendors have opened their stalls and they won’t accept card payment. Any form of online transaction not possible without the internet,” said Meher.

Authorities at the popular Nandanakanan Zoological Park have been forced to shut the zoo indefinitely. There are no reports of loss to animal life, but there has been major damage to the green cover and infrastructure.

Viseswar Basti near Acharya Vihar has lost around 400 slum dwellings. Most of the asbestos and thatched roof houses of this slum have blown away. The homeless residents of the basti are waiting for relief.

Visikesan Sahoo, a 44-year-old auto driver from Dhenkanal who has been living here for the last 25 years says, “90% of the houses in the basti has been damaged. Water supply and electricity are the main things right now. We don’t ask for much, but plastic for our roof and water supply would really help us.”

Prasad Rao, a 55-year-old trolley driver, and his wife S, Padma Rao did better and even took in their neighbours during the cyclone. “Our tin roof managed somehow, but surviving without food and water is difficult.”

Their youngest son was born on the day when in 1999, when a super cyclone Cyclone devastated Odisha killing more than 10,000 people. “My youngest son was born on the day of 1999 cyclone, which is why we call him Batya (which means cyclone). He is studying a diploma course in electronics,” said Rao.

Fani will now leave behind new memories.

Anjali Nayak, 35, sent her children to a shelter home but stayed behind. Within a few hours, Fani had blown most of the houses in the basti leaving everyone devastated, she said. “We are from poor family, it took us years to build a house in Bhubaneswar, but now everything is gone. While we sleep in the open, which makes us feel unsafe and to protect us, our men stand guard.”

After it carried out initial surveys on May 4 and 5, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) began distributing relief materials on May 6. Around one lakh residents in 67 wards have been identified by revenue inspector, and anganwadi workers and their families will get 50 kg rice, Rs 2,000 cash, and Rs 500 to buy polytheme sheets.

Flight passengers wait at NSCBI airport as airlines resume operations following a halt in view of cyclonic storm Fani in Kolkata on May 4, 2019. Credit: PTI

Trains, flights and bus services, which were suspended on May 3, have resumed. The East Coast railway has started special trains from Bhubaneswar from the evening of May 4.

Many tourists who were visiting Puri, Odisha’s main tourist attraction, are stuck in railway stations, hotels and bus terminals waiting to find a way to return home.

Natmal Upadhya and his family reached Puri on May 1 from Rajasthan for a darshan at Jagganath temple. He only found out about Fani after reaching the town, he says. The 16 of them are now stuck in Goudia Math in Puri.

People wade through a flooded street after Cyclone Fani made its landfall, in Puri, Friday, May 3, 2019. Credit: PTI

“Had there been proper coverage about Fani in the national media and advance warning, we could have cancelled our trip,” said Upadhya. “In comparison to local tourists, there are more tourists from other parts of the country visiting Puri. So for their awareness, the arrival of Fani should have been covered properly in Hindi channels in advance and at a regular interval,” he added.

Since then, the family has moved to Bhubaneswar and been waiting at the railway station. “Puri is totally devastated, there is nothing left and it was difficult for us to survive there, without food and water. We have children and senior citizens with us. We will leave for Hyderabad,” he added.

Another tourist, Shrikumar Tiwari, 50, who arrived on May 2, says he took refuge from the cyclone at the station, whose has roof was blown away. “People were really scared on the day when Cyclone hit. But railway officials and police personnel helped everyone in the station. They provided food in the evening. It’s been three days we are still stuck in the station,” said Shrikumar.

Meanwhile, petrol pumps are running out of petrol and diesel and sales are being restricted to a few litres. Most Indian Oil pumps are running out of oil. However, Bharat and Reliance petrol have got a supply of tankers.  Fear of a shortage has resulted in long queues of vehicles at these pumps. However, oil tankers have started arriving at a few petrol pumps on May 5.

With public transportation disrupted, auto drivers have increased their fares. “With no option left, we are compelled to surrender to the high prices charged by auto drivers. When we objected, they said that they are purchasing oil in black,” said Manjuprava Biswal.

Monalisa Patsani is a freelance journalist. 

Cyclone Fani: Death Toll Rises to 34, CM Patnaik Announces Relief Package

The “extremely-severe” cyclone, one of the “rarest of rare”, unleashed copious rain and windstorms up to 240 kmph on Friday.

Bhubaneswar: The death toll due to Cyclone Fani mounted to 34 in Odisha on Sunday, two days after it caused widespread damage in the coastal region and left hundreds grappling with water shortage and power cuts, an official said.

Although the official figure is 34, many more are feared dead in the calamity as information from several areas, including the severely-damaged Khurda district, is still awaited.

The number of people affected by the cyclone has also jumped to around 1.08 crore in 14,835 villages spread across at least 11 districts, the official said, adding that over 13.41 lakh people had been evacuated in a span of 24 hours ahead of the disaster.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has already unveiled a relief package for those affected by the calamity.

In Puri and in parts of Khurda that have been “extremely severely affected”, families will get 50 kg of rice, Rs 2,000 in cash and polythene sheets if they are covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Patnaik said.

For the rest of Khurda district, categorised as “severely affected”, the NFSA families will get a month’s quota of rice, Rs 1,000 and polythene sheets, Patnaik said.

Those living in the “moderately-affected” districts of Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur will be eligible for a month’s quota of rice and Rs 500 in cash.

The chief minister also announced an assistance of Rs 95,100 for fully-damaged houses, Rs 52,000 for partially-damaged houses and Rs 3,200 for houses that had suffered minor damage.

Patnaik, who visited the cyclone-ravaged Puri and distributed relief to the affected people, claimed that water supply had been restored in 70% areas of the seaside pilgrim town and 40% of the places in Bhubaneswar.

Also read | Extreme Events in the Himalayan Region: Are We Prepared for the Big One?

“I hope water supply will be fully restored in Bhubaneswar shortly and at least in 90% areas of Puri town by Monday,” he said. “The government has made arrangements to provide cooked food for free over the next 15 days. We will also take up tree plantation on a mission mode.”

Patnaik, however, could not give the details on the status of the ongoing work for power restoration in the affected areas.

“We have to be very careful to avoid accidental electrocution,” he said, when asked if power supply will be restored in Bhubaneswar, which continued without electricity for the third day on Sunday.

According to Chief Secretary A.P. Padhi, 21 of the 34 deaths were registered in Puri district, where the storm made a landfall on Friday, flattening fragile houses, uprooting scores of trees, electric poles and mobile towers.

Giving the break up, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B.P. Sethi said four deaths each were reported from Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts, and two from Cuttack, while Kendrapara district accounted for three casualties.

The massive evacuation, touted as the largest ever ahead of a natural calamity in the country, played a major role in keeping human casualties to a minimum, he said, adding nearly 25,000 tourists had also been evacuated from Puri, Ganjam and Balasore districts as a precautionary measure.

The state government had mounted a massive restoration work across 14,835 villages and 46 urban areas ravaged by the storm, affecting 1.08 crore people, Sethi said.

The “extremely-severe” cyclone, one of the “rarest of rare”, unleashed copious rain and windstorms that gusted up to 240 kmph on Friday, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal.

As the cyclone barrelled through entire coastal Odisha, 11 districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Mayurbhanj and Puri were severely affected.

Assuring that efforts were on to restore electricity supply in the affected areas, Energy Secretary Hemant Sharma said the power infrastructure was severely damaged in Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Balasore districts during the cyclone.

The SRC said that clearing of roads and power restoration work was in full swing, while 321 mobile medical teams had been deployed with adequate number of doctors.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Odisha to review the situation. Modi had spoken to Patnaik on Saturday and assured continuous support from the Centre for the rehabilitation work.

Meanwhile, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) resumed operations on the Howrah-Chennai route on Sunday.

“Barring the Bhubaneswar-Tirupati Express and the Visakhapatnam Intercity Express, all trains originating from the state capital, including the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, will be running normally from Sunday,” an ECoR official said.

Odisha Floods Severely Affect Over 3 Lakh People

According to sources in water resources department, the Baitarani river was flowing above the danger mark and entered several villages in the three coastal districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur and Kendrapara.

Bhubaneswar: Over 3 lakh people in three coastal districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur and Kendrapara have been severely affected as the swirling water of the Baitarani river entered several villages and inundated large swathes of farm land, on Saturday, officials said.

Though the Baitarani water submerged many agricultural fields in Keonjhar district, it has not affected the people living in the river bank, official sources said.

However, the flood situation remained grim in four blocks of Jajpur district, four blocks in Bhadrak and two blocks in Kendrapara district, sources in the special relief commissioner’s office said.

Meanwhile, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast,  on Saturday, said that heavy rainfall along with thunderstorm is likely to occur at one or two places over Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in 24 hours.

According to sources in water resources department, the Baitarani river was flowing above the danger mark at Akhuapada in Bhadrak district. Against the danger level of 17.83 metres, the water was flowing at a height of 18.08 metres at 7 pm Saturday.

The water level at Anandapur, however, showed a falling trend and was flowing at 37.45 metre against the danger level of 38.36 metre.

The water crossed the embankments and entered 122 villages of Bhandaripokhari, Dhamnagar, Tihidi and Bhadrak blocks. Road links between Bhandaripokhari and Jajpur have been cut off due to overflowing of the river at a height of about two feet over the Sarta bridge at Malada.

Road communication from Aradi to Jajpur and Bhadrak has been disrupted, the sources said.

Several hectares of paddy field in Aradi, Sundarpur, Nandapur and Olagi panchayats in Chandbali tehsil have been submerged.

Around 1,71,365 people in Bhadrak district have been hit as the water rushed into their villages, the SRC office said.

In Jajpur district, the water of Baitarani has entered 69 villages in Dasarathpurm, Korei and Jajpur blocks. Dasarathpur has been the worst-affected block in Jajpur district, it said.

Similarly, nine blocks and two urban local bodies in Kendrapara district have been affected as Baitarani water entered the villages.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B.P. Sethi said the district collectors of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Keonjhar have been put on alert and instructed to undertake evacuation of people living in the low-laying areas.

The Emergency Operation Centres in the state and district levels along with line departments are functioning round-the-clock, he said.

He said the district collectors have also been asked to deploy units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for relief and rescue operations.

Besides, ices personnel are also on standby in these four districts, Sethi said.

He said cooked food and safe drinking water besides health arrangements have been readied by the collectors in multi-purpose cyclone shelters.

The SRC said Jajpur district administration had evacuated 3,860 flood-hit people in Binjharpur block and set up free kitchens in Binjharpur, Dasarathpur blocks and in Jajpur Municipality.

Revenue and disaster management minister Maheswar Mohanty said the second Saturday and Sunday holidays of the field functionaries have been cancelled in view of the floods.

(PTI)