With 128 villages across the coastal region of Odisha remaining inundated by Cyclone Yaas-inducted tidal surge and rainwater, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced seven days' relief for the affected families.
He also directed officials to ensure that all major roads affected by the cyclone be repaired and 80 per cent of electricity supply in affected districts be restored within the next 24 hours.
Patnaik made the announcement after reviewing the situation created in the aftermath of the cyclone, which is still active in the district of Mayurbnajh and is likely to leave the state by midnight.
Official sources said that most of the marooned villages were in Balasore and Bhadrak districts which bore the brunt of the cyclone. Some of the affected villages witnessed the rushing of saline water due to tidal surge, while others are flooded because of the downpour.
The people of those 128 villages will be provided with cooked food or cooking materials and dry food for seven days. Local panchayat bodies and block-level officials will make the arrangements for it, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said. "The road communication to these villages remained cut off because water is still running on roads connecting them," Jena said.
Of the 605 roads of works and rural development departments, repairing is being done in 495 while work for the remaining ones will be completed within 24 hours, he said.
The power restoration work has started in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur districts which will be completed soon. In Balasore and Bhadrak, it will also be taken up on a war footing to meet the deadline, the SRC said.
Patnaik thanked doctors and health workers for their service in the affected districts during the cyclone which hit the coast north of Dhamra in Bhadrak district and 50 km south of Balasore, close to Bahanaga block, around 9 am.
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The chief minister congratulated all panchayat representatives, district administrations, community organisations, and the police for their excellent work in evacuating people from vulnerable pockets to safer places.
Patnaik also asked officials to undertake health check-ups of over 6.5 lakh people who were taken to cyclone shelters and test samples of suspected Covid-19 patients.