Bhubaneswar: Amid Opposition criticism over the government’s handling of Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari Thursday asserted that no direct casualties had been reported in Ganjam district due to the cyclone or flooding, clarifying that the deaths recorded were attributable to landslides.
Addressing a press conference here, Pujari said landslides had emerged as a major concern in the wake of the recent extreme weather events and the government was working with scientific, technical and expert institutions to formulate effective strategies to tackle the growing challenge.
Responding to allegations by the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) that the government had failed to achieve its zero-casualty objective due to a lack of foresight and preparedness, the minister cited casualty figures from previous disasters during the BJD regime.
He said 45 people lost their lives during Cyclone Phailin in 2013, while 72 died in floods associated with Cyclone Titli in 2018 and 65 during Cyclone Fani in 2019. The devastating Super Cyclone of 1999 claimed 9,866 lives, according to government records, he added.
Reiterating that there had been no direct casualties due to Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods in Ganjam, Pujari said the district had experienced rainfall of an unprecedented intensity.
He pointed out that the rainfall recorded in Patrapur block of Ganjam district during the recent weather event ranked as the fourth-highest rainfall episode in Odisha’s history.
The intense downpour across Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal triggered sudden flash floods in the Rushikulya and Budhabalanga river systems, severely affecting several areas, the minister said.
Pujari also highlighted infrastructure-related challenges during the floods, particularly the absence of gates at Sorada dam. He said the river system had four dams, one of which operated through an automated mechanism, but Sorada dam did not have gates, making flood management difficult.
He said to strengthen the administrative coordination, the Chief Minister personally visited the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office control room ,and chaired review meetings to monitor preparedness while senior officers with prior experience as district Collectors and administrative officials in the affected regions were temporarily deputed to provide support on the ground.
Under the relief package announced by the Chief Minister, compensation has been extended to affected families for damage each affected family has been assured 50 kg of rice and financial assistance of Rs 2,500, Pujari said.
For effective implementation of relief measures, four IAS officers have been appointed as Additional Special Relief Commissioners (Additional SRCs) in the affected districts, with full powers and authority to ensure timely delivery of assistance.
Appealing to all political parties to rise above political differences, Pujari called for a comprehensive discussion on disaster management, taking into account Odisha’s experience with natural calamities from the 1999 Super Cyclone to the present.
He said several districts, including Jajpur, Bhadrak, Baleswar, Kendrapada, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal, had been affected to varying degrees by incessant rainfall, floods and cyclones this year.
The government had already initiated steps to develop flood-resistant and disaster-resilient infrastructure, he said, adding that IITs and other technical institutions were being roped in to conduct research, surveys and technical assessments to identify sustainable solutions.
“Based on their findings, we are working towards developing disaster-resistant and resilient infrastructure,” the minister said.
