Floods in Odisha have affected 1,381 villages and about 9.4 lakh people in six districts. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a relief package of Rs 1,000 crore. NDRF and ODRAF teams are engaged in the rescue operation.
Bhubaneswar: The continuing floods in Odisha have caused widespread impact in six districts of the state. About 9.4 lakh people have been affected. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, after reviewing the situation, has announced a relief package of Rs 1,000 crore for the affected people and farmers.
Heavy damage due to flood in six districts
The flood situation in Odisha remains serious due to continuous rains and rising water levels of rivers. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday reviewed the flood situation in the state and the damage caused by it. After review, he said that 74 blocks and 1,381 villages in six districts of the state have been affected by the floods. About 9.4 lakh people have been affected by the floods in these areas.
The biggest challenge before the state government is to provide relief material to the affected population and evacuate people to safe places. The administration has intensified relief and rescue operations in sensitive areas. A large number of people have been evacuated to safe places and arrangements for their stay and food have been made in relief centres.
Chief Minister announced relief package of Rs 1,000 crore
While reviewing the flood situation at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an assistance package of Rs 1,000 crore for the affected people. The government says that the objective of this package is to provide immediate financial assistance to families, farmers, fishermen, cattle herders and others affected by the floods.
Under the relief package, arrangements will be made to provide free rice to the affected families. Farmers whose crops have suffered more than 33 percent loss will be given agricultural input subsidy. It has also been decided to provide financial assistance to compensate for the loss of paddy and other crops.
Apart from this, a plan has also been made to provide seed related assistance to the farmers. In view of the damage caused to agriculture due to floods, the government has also decided to provide free vegetable kits to the farmers, so that they can start farming again after the waters recede.
Also help for boats, fishing tackle and livestock
The impact of floods is not limited to agriculture only. Fishermen’s boats and fishing nets have also been damaged in many areas. The government has also announced assistance to such people. Financial assistance will also be provided for the loss caused to livestock in floods.
A provision of relief has also been made for the people associated with the handloom sector. The Chief Minister has announced an assistance of Rs 5,000 to buy back damaged handloom equipment.
The damage caused to the household goods of flood affected families has also been included in the relief package. Financial assistance will be provided for damaged utensils, clothes and rice for domestic use. The government aims to provide immediate relief to the affected families as well as bring their normal lives back on track as soon as possible.
Jajpur included among the most affected districts
The situation in Jajpur is said to be very serious among the flood affected districts. 10 blocks and 270 villages in the district have been affected by the floods. About 2.8 lakh people are said to be affected by this. Keeping security in mind, the administration has evacuated 77,680 people to safe places.
203 relief centers have been set up in Jajpur for the affected people. Efforts are being made to provide food, shelter and essential facilities to the people through these centres. Administration teams are continuously monitoring the flood affected areas.
Lakhs of people affected in Bhadrak also
Widespread impact of floods has also been seen in Bhadrak district. Four blocks and 149 villages have been affected here. About 2.59 lakh people are said to be affected by the floods. The administration has evacuated more than one lakh people to safe places.
90 relief centers have been opened for the affected population in Bhadrak. Efforts are being made to provide necessary facilities to the displaced people in these centres. Officials have been instructed to speed up relief and rescue operations and deliver essential materials to the affected families.
Impact in Balasore, Keonjhar and other districts also
Apart from Jajpur and Bhadrak, the flood has also affected Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara districts. Normal life has been affected due to water logging in many villages and low-lying areas in these areas.
The administration has focused on evacuating people to safe places in sensitive areas as well as supplying relief material. The situation is also being monitored in areas where road connectivity and local transport has been affected due to floods.
NDRF and ODRAF deployed in relief and rescue operations
The state government has deployed security and disaster management forces on a large scale for relief and rescue operations. 45 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force i.e. ODRAF teams and eight NDRF teams have been deployed in the six affected districts.
Apart from this, fire service personnel are also engaged in rescue and relief operations. The teams have been given the responsibility of evacuating the people trapped in the affected areas, taking them to safe places and providing necessary relief material.
Government’s focus on relief and rehabilitation
The Odisha government now faces the challenge of providing immediate relief as well as rehabilitation and damage assessment after the floods. The process of providing assistance to the affected people will be taken forward by assessing the damage caused to crops, livestock, boats, fishing nets, household goods and small businesses.
The Chief Minister has directed the officials to maintain constant contact with the affected families and ensure that there is no let-up in relief work. The package of Rs 1,000 crore announced by the government is being considered an important step towards providing immediate economic support to the flood affected population as well as strengthening the farmers and rural economy.
At present, the priority of the administration is the safety of the people, availability of relief material and continuing rescue operations in the affected areas. The state government is continuously monitoring the situation and additional steps may be taken in the coming days based on detailed assessment of the damage.