Bhubaneswar: An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), who reached Odisha to make an on-the-spot assessment of damages caused by cyclone Yaas, has praised the state government for its preparedness, response, and disaster management skills.
The Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Sunil Kumar Barnwal, who led the seven-member team held a meeting with Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and other senior officials at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Tuesday.
“The pre-positioning of manpower and timely evacuation of people from low lying areas and kutcha houses, preventive preparedness, and community involvement are the achievements of the Odisha government,” Barnwal said.
“Cyclones have become a regular feature in summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon months due to the geo-climatic location of Odisha. But Odisha government’s effort has made the state efficient to fight against such natural calamities,” he said.
“We have seen in remote areas that even electricity could be restored within a few days,” he added.
Informing about the total Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena said, “The state has pegged post-cyclone damage at Rs 610 crore. Of this, Rs 520 crore is a loss to government infrastructure, and Rs 90 crore is damage to private properties.”
“Around 60 lakh people of 11,000 villages were affected. A total of 150 villages were submerged and several hectares of crops have been damaged in the state by cyclone Yaas,” Jena said.
In reply, Barnwal said that the Central team which visited the cyclone-hit districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara, will soon submit a report to the Centre with the state government’s suggestions.
Reportedly, after undertaking an aerial survey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 28 announced Rs 500 crore relief assistance for the state. Modi had made the announcement after a meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
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