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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Naveen Patnaik today made separate aerial surveys of the south Odisha districts to take stock of the damages wreaked by the very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud.
Patnaik flew over the calamity stricken areas of five south Odisha districts- Malkanagiri, Koraput, Nabarangapur, Rayagada and Gajapati and then held review meeting with the Koraput and Rayagada collectors.
“The relief and restoration work in the affected areas are going on in a war-footing,” the chief minister said after the review meeting at Koraput.
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Patnaik has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to the cyclone Hudhud. Three people were killed in the cyclone related incidents in the state. Hudhud made its landfall on October 12 near Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, bordering south Odisha.
Two people from Kendrapada district and one from Puri district lost their lives in the natural calamity.
The five south Odisha districts were worst hit as the cyclone crossed over these areas after its landfall.
Road communication and power supply were affected in these districts under the impact of gusty winds and heavy downpour.
The chief minister said, the state government would demand assistance from the Central government for restoration work after assessment of damage.
Patnaik stressed on bringing back normalcy in road communication, electricity and water supply on a priority basis in the affected areas. He expressed his satisfaction over the relief operations.
He said, the district authorities were working on a war-footing to put things back on the track in the affected areas. Hudhud is reported to have damaged about 80,000 houses, power infrastructure and roads.
While five south Odisha districts were badly hit by Hudhud, the other districts in the zone, such as Ganjam, Kandhamal and Kalahandi, the cyclone had limited impact. People of these districts, who had taken shelter in the temporary shelter centres (TSC), are now returning to their houses. The Gajapati district administration had evacuated 76,800 people and they were housed in 667 TCS, said an official source.
