Odisha Demands Rs 2,526 Cr As Central Assistance Over Cyclone, Floods In Southern Districts

The Odisha government on Thursday demanded Rs 2,526 crore as central assistance over the impact of Cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods in three southern districts, a senior official said.

The state government also sought special assistance of Rs 10,000 crore for a permanent solution to mitigate the impact of cyclones and floods in the state, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh P Patil told reporters after a meeting with a visiting central team that assessed the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.

Patil said the special grant was required for the reconstruction of irrigation facilities and other infrastructure damaged during the calamity.

Central Team Assesses Disaster Damage

The state government submitted a memorandum to the central team seeking compensation for the damage at the meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg and attended by the eight members of the inter-ministerial central team, led by Ravi Shankar, joint secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The team also met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari during their visit.

The team held discussions on the situation before culminating its Odisha visit.

State Demands Permanent Resilient Solutions

Majhi emphasised the need for a permanent solution to mitigate cyclones and floods in the state, a statement issued by the CMO said.

The chief minister said that the state frequently faces natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and heat waves.

These events hinder the state's development efforts, the CM was quoted as saying in the statement.

He also suggested that the central team emphasise long-term, permanent solutions in its report, along with recommendations for immediate relief and reconstruction assistance.

Majhi also highlighted the critical need for cyclone- and flood-resilient infrastructure in the state.

Such infrastructure would provide a permanent solution for the people of Odisha and ensure that the state's development is accelerated rather than obstructed, he said.

The damage caused in Ganjam was the focus of the discussion as the district was worst affected in the floods following Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall in adjoining Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28.

Ravishankar said the central team visited various areas across Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

The floods have had a widespread impact on the people. In Ganjam, the overflow from the Rushikulya River resulted in the deposition of sand across many areas. Sand has covered agricultural land, as well as roads, houses, and offices, he noted.

In many places, although houses did not collapse, they were left structurally weakened, the team leader said, adding there was a need for desilting of the Rushikulya River.

He said it would take seven to eight days to arrive at a complete assessment of the damage caused by the large-scale disaster.

Pujari mentioned the damage and the response measures taken by the state government.

The central team, comprising officials from the ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Jal Shakti, Power, Road Transport and Highways, and Rural Development, along with a representative from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will submit the final report to the Centre within 8-10 days, an official said.

The team, in groups, undertook field inspection in Ganjam and Gajapati districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

They inspected damage to electricity infrastructure, including snapped powerlines, uprooted trees and damaged mobile tower installations, he added.