The flood situation in Odisha’s cyclone-hit Ganjam and Gajapati districts improved gradually on Saturday as water receded from most affected areas and river levels declined, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed officials to step up relief and restoration work.
Ganjam and Gajapati were the worst affected among the nine southern districts hit by very severe Cyclone Arnab. More than 1.5 lakh people were affected in Ganjam and over 30,000 in Gajapati, prompting the authorities to evacuate residents and open relief camps.
Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan told PTI that 56,051 people had been moved to 367 safe shelters, while cooked food was being distributed at 370 locations across the district.
Around 700 people remained stranded in waterlogged areas, he said. Food had been delivered by air to cut-off villages using Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard helicopters. Adequate food stocks were being maintained to meet requirements for the next 15 to 20 days.
The number of cut-off villages in Ganjam fell from 70 on Thursday to 21 on Friday and three on Saturday. Vasan said schools in the district would remain closed until November 3 because of flooding and waterlogging.
Transport Minister BB Jena said National Highway 16, which connects Kolkata and Chennai, had reopened after the water level in the Bahuda river declined. Train services along the route had also returned to normal.
Water Resources Department Secretary Shubha Sharma visited the water-level monitoring station on the Rushikulya river and said the river was well below the danger mark, with no immediate flood threat. However, she said water accumulated in low-lying areas could take a few more days to recede.
Work has begun to repair damaged roads, bridges, small dams and embankments. Priority is being given to major routes, including Hinjili-Bhanjanagar, Sorada-Daringbadi and Mohana-Berhampur, to allow the movement of relief materials.
Officials told PTI that more than 100 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, Odisha Police and Fire Services were involved in relief and rescue operations in Ganjam and Gajapati.
At a review meeting, Majhi directed officials to assess the situation and evaluate the damage caused by the cyclone. He also asked them to make adequate preparations for any further cyclonic systems likely to affect the Andhra Pradesh coast on November 3.
The chief minister instructed all administrative departments to provide complete, official and accurate information to the media during disasters. He also directed officials to urgently restore electricity, roads and other essential services in cyclone-affected areas.
The Energy Department has prioritised the restoration of electricity supply. In a statement, TP Southern Odisha Distribution Limited, a joint venture between Tata Power and the Odisha government, said power had been restored to 17 lakh consumers across southern Odisha after the cyclone.
“About 96.32 per cent power restoration was achieved across eight districts. All 130 affected primary substations were restored. Districts like Malkangiri, Boudh and Rayagada have achieved 100 per cent consumer restoration, while in Ganjam the ratio was 93 per cent,” the statement said.
With river levels falling and most cut-off villages reconnected, the flood situation in Ganjam and Gajapati is improving, while relief work and the restoration of roads, electricity and other essential services continue.
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