Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in Odisha’s Ganjam and Gajapati districts, hit by Cyclone Arnab, gradually improved Saturday with water receding from most affected areas and river levels showing a declining trend, even as Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed officials to intensify relief and restoration work.
Of the nine southern districts affected by the very severe cyclonic storm, Ganjam and Gajapati were the worst hit, with more than 1.5 lakh people affected in Ganjam and over 30,000 in Gajapati, prompting the administration to evacuate people and open relief camps.
Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan said 56,051 people had been evacuated 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, adding that aerial delivery of food to marooned villages had been completed using helicopters of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard.
Adequate food stocks were being maintained to meet requirements for the next 15 to 20 days, he said.
The number of marooned villages in Ganjam, which stood at 70 Thursday, declined to 21 Friday and three Saturday.
Vasan also said in view of the prevailing flood situation and waterlogging, schools in the district will remain closed till November 3.
Transport Minister B B Jena said National Highway 16, connecting Kolkata and Chennai, had become operational following a decline in the water level of the Bahuda river.
Train services along the route had also returned to normal, he said.
Water Resources Department Secretary Shubha Sharma, who visited the gauge station on the Rushikulya river, said the water level was well below the danger mark and there was no immediate flood threat from the river.
However, water accumulated in low-lying areas could take a few more days to recede, she said.
Meanwhile, restoration of damaged roads, bridges, anicuts and embankments has begun, with priority being given to major routes, including Hinjili-Bhanjanagar, Sorada-Daringbadi and Mohana-Berhampur, to facilitate the movement of relief materials.
More than 100 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Odisha Police and Fire Services are engaged in relief and rescue operations in Ganjam and Gajapati districts, officials said.
During 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.
Majhi further directed officials to restore electricity, roads and other essential services in cyclone-affected areas on a war footing.
The Energy Department has prioritised the restoration of power supply to ensure that normal services are resumed at the earliest.
In a statement, TP Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL), a joint venture between Tata Power and the Odisha government, said electricity supply had been restored to 17 lakh consumers across southern Odisha following 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.
