50K households in cyclone hit areas of Odisha yet to get power supply

Bhubaneswar: About 50,000 households in cyclone-hit areas of Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts in Odisha are yet to get back power supply, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Sunday.

Briefing media persons here this evening after reviewing the post-cyclone situation, Majhi said the restoration work has reached the last stage and obstructions on roads have been completely cleared.

Power supply has been restored in 98 per cent of the affected areas. Out of 22.84 lakh power consumers affected by the cyclone, power supply was restored in 22.32 lakh households. Nearly 50,000 households of Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts are yet to get back power supply as the villages remained marooned, he stated.

For restoration of power supply in the affected areas, about 7,000 workers have been engaged and they are working hard to restore power in those areas too, Majhi said.

More than 8 lakh people in the cyclone-affected area had been evacuated to 6,210 shelter centres. Most of the people have returned to their homes after the situation became normal, he said.

A total of around 30,000 are still there in 470 shelter centres as their homes are still under water, Majhi said.

The chief minister said standing crops over 2.21 lakh acres in 4,100 villages of 12 blocks in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj have been damaged by the natural calamity, as per preliminary estimation. Detailed damage assessment will be made after field verification once the water level receded in the areas, he added.

Concerned district collectors have been asked to submit a damage assessment report by November 2. After that compensation will be provided to the affected people, Majhi told media persons.

On possible flood like situation in Budhabalanga river, the CM said that there is no threat of flood as water has started receding in the river.

Majhi said he will make another aerial survey of rain-affected areas of Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak districts on Monday.

The CM undertook an aerial survey of the coastal areas of Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district, Mahakalapada, Rajnagar and Rajkanika area of Kendrapara district and Chandbali area of Bhadrak district this afternoon.