SRC asks collectors to ascertain crop damage in cyclone

Odisha government asked district collectors and agriculture department Friday to conduct field inspection to ascertain damages to cultivation by Cyclone Titli and subsequent floods, officials said.

The action came a day after the state asked the Centre to immediately release Rs 1,000 crore as interim assistance for relief and restoration works for the cyclone and flood affected areas.

Deputy Relief Commissioner Prabhat Ranjan Mohapatra said the special relief commissioner (SRC) has directed the district collectors of the 17 affected districts and the agriculture department to conduct field inspection and submit reports in regard to crop damage.

Mohapatra said the farmers will be provided input subsidy for crop loss on the basis of the reports.

He said as per the norms of NDRF and SDRF, the state government will give agriculture in-put subsidy at the rate of Rs 13,500 per hectare for irrigated land and Rs 6,800 per hectare for non-irrigated land. The subsidy will be given to maximum two hectares, the DSRC said.

Earlier on Thursday, SRC BP Sethi had informed that Odisha has incurred damage amounting to Rs 2765 crore due to Cyclone Titli and the subsequent flood.

"Standing crops in about 2.73 lakh hectare of land have suffered extensive damages," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

At least 57 people have been killed and 10 others are missing due to the cyclone and subsequent floods which damaged 56,930 houses.