Flood situation improves in North Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said the flood situation in North Odisha in the aftermath of cyclone Dana has improved, and assistance will be provided to the affected people following an assessment of the damage. Majhi undertook an aerial survey of the affected areas for the second consecutive day on Monday. “I assessed the situation of cyclone and flood damage in the districts of Kendrapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj.

“The situation is now better than before. The damage will be assessed as soon as possible and assistance will be provided to the affected people,” he said. During the survey onboard a special helicopter, Majhi observed the cyclone’s landfall point at Habelikhati shore in Kendrapara district.

The Chief Minister also viewed the dense mangrove forest at Habelikhati area, which stood as a major deterrent against the high-velocity winds that hit the region during the landfall on Friday, officials said. The severe cyclone hit the coast at Habelikhati with a speed of 120 kmph.

While discussing a permanent solution against cyclones, Majhi, during a review meeting held at Chandipur in Balasore, said: “In the coming days, the government will stress on massive plantation of mangrove forest along the coast in order to effectively counter high-speed winds during cyclones.”

Expressing gratitude to MLAs and MPs for their coordination in cyclone and flood management, he said the State government was committed to provide assistance to people, and efforts were underway to restore electricity in inundated areas.

Majhi and his team also reviewed the restoration and rehabilitation measures in the affected areas. He had directed officials to prepare a damage report by November 2 for submission to the Centre.

Earlier, Odisha’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Wildlife Susant Nanda, in a social media post, said: “The place where cyclone DANA made landfall - eco-tour camps of Habelikhati. Situated inside Bhitarkanika National Park with mangroves all around is safe. The forests reduced the wind speed and stopped the tidal ingress. All the more reason to protect mangroves for our future safety.”

Cyclone Dana, which struck the Odisha coast on October 25, affected around 36 lakh people across 14 districts, and caused significant damage to standing crops.