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| A girl runs across a flooded road in Puri district on Friday as water recedes. (AP) |
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 16: Floodwaters have started receding in most of the affected areas in the Mahandi basin, much to the government’s relief.
Almost all the rivers in the Mahanadi river system were flowing below the danger the level today. However, Baitrani continued to look dangerous following heavy rain in its catchment area over the last two days.
The government was relieved when the water receded in Kushabhadra, Bhargabi and Daya, the tributaries of the Mahanadi but people in Gop and Nimapara areas in Puri district were still battling the after-effects of the deluge.
People of Kendarapara district and the flood-affected areas of Athagarh and Banki in Cuttack district are also trying to return to normal life. Leaders of various political parties have been touring the affected areas with relief materials.
The death toll in the floods has climbed to 32 and 12 persons are still missing. The state government said 4,121 villages in 95 blocks and 16 urban local bodies (ULB) had been affected. One death was reported each in Bhadrak and Khurda, two each in Dhenakanal, Puri and Sambalpur, three in Mayurbhanj, 10 in Kendrapara and 11 in Jajpur.
Reports received so far from collectors of 13 districts said that 55,016 dwellings have been damaged. About 2.55 lakh people were evacuated from low lying areas to safer places and provided with emergency assistance. The government also claimed that 457 free kitchens were opened and 2,19,136 people have been covered by them.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik Patnaik today held a review meeting on the current flood situation.
He directed officials to assess crop loss following the provisions of Orissa Relief Code and to complete it in the all affected districts within a time-frame. The assessment will be made jointly by drawing field level and supervisory officials from revenue, agriculture and statistics departments.
Special relief commissioner Pradeepta Mohapatra said: “Due diligence is to be exercised while making assessment of crop loss of small and marginal farmers and actual cultivators. Extent of damage caused to agricultural, horticultural, sericulture crops, annual plantation and perennial crops due to flood is to be accurately calculated and thereafter displayed in villages.”
The government also decided that all payments would be made through account payee cheques.
The Centre today informed the state government that a 10-member inter-ministerial committee will reach Orissa after September 20 to asses the loss caused by the flood.