Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (PTI) At least three persons, including a nine-month-old baby, died in a landslide in Odisha on Friday, while hundreds of villages were inundated as heavy rainfall triggered by cyclone ‘Arnab’ caused extensive flooding in the state’s southern part, officials said.
The cyclone, which was initially expected to have a greater impact on Andhra Pradesh and cause relatively less damage in Odisha, left a trail of destruction in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said.
“The state was expecting damages in Malkangiri district bordering Andhra Pradesh, but ‘Arnab’ wreaked havoc in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts,” he said.
Continuous heavy rainfall in the three districts led to a sharp rise in water levels of rivers and triggered nearly a dozen landslides. In one such incident in Kandhamal district, a couple and their nine-month-old son died, a minister said.
The CM announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.
President Droupadi Murmu, who was scheduled to undertake a three-day visit to Odisha from November 3, cancelled her tour in view of the situation. She also spoke to the chief minister and enquired about the wellbeing of people affected by the calamity.
The state government has intensified rescue and relief operations, deploying four helicopters of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard to airdrop food packets in flood-hit Ganjam district.
After conducting an aerial survey of the affected areas along with Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Majhi said the government had immediately sought the Centre's assistance after learning that the cyclone had changed its course.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said food packets were airdropped at 21 identified locations in Ganjam district.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel also transported cooked food by boats to people stranded in marooned areas despite adverse weather conditions and strong water currents, the officials said.
More than 23,000 people were staying in relief camps, but the number of those stranded in inundated areas was considerably higher, Pujari said.
Of the 313 rescue teams deployed across the state, more than 100 were engaged in Ganjam and Gajapati districts, he said.
Around 50,000 people have been severely affected by the floods in Ganjam, followed by 30,000 in Gajapati and 12,000 in Kandhamal, the minister said.
Following the CM’s aerial survey, the state government sanctioned an additional Rs 20 crore for Ganjam district to facilitate relief and rescue operations.
A central team will visit Odisha on November 2 to assess the damage caused by the floods triggered by the cyclone, Pujari said.
Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department Dilip K Rout said the overflowing Rushikulya river had caused extensive damage in Ganjam, inundating several villages, damaging bridges and washing away roads.
Floodwaters entered residential areas, with Sorada, Aska, Bhanjanagar and Purushottampur among the worst-affected places. Several areas in Sanakhemundi were also inundated, the officials said.
Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan said rescue and relief operations had been intensified, and relief materials distributed among affected people since Thursday.
The government also deployed 30 senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers to assist the Ganjam district administration in carrying out relief and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the Opposition BJD, Congress and Left parties criticised the BJP government, alleging that it had failed to take adequate preventive measures despite advance warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The chief minister, however, said the administration was working round the clock to provide assistance to the affected people.
“Protecting lives and property of the people during times of crisis is my utmost priority. The entire administration is working round the clock to ensure that food, drinking water, and emergency healthcare reach those affected without any hindrance. Instructions have been given to further expedite relief and rescue operations,” Majhi said in a post on X.
He also directed officials to expedite the restoration of damaged roads and bridges, restore electricity supply and address possible post-flood health issues.
“In this difficult time, your government stands firmly by your side. Stay brave, remain in safe places, follow the guidance of local administration and rescue teams, and extend a helping hand to one another; united as one, we will emerge from this crisis very soon,” Majhi said.
Transport Minister B B Jena said National Highway-16, connecting Kolkata and Chennai, had become operational after water levels in the Bahuda river receded.
Rail services have also resumed, but several trains remained cancelled or short-terminated due to congestion following water-logging along routes, an official said.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)