Odisha CM announces relief measures for flood-hit people

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced relief measures for flood-hit people on Monday.

People in severely affected villages will get 50 kg of rice and Rs 500. The package for immediate assistance for floods includes cooked/dry food which shall be provided to all people who have been evacuated for the period they are housed in shelters. 50 kg of rice and Rs 500 will be provided to all families in villages which have been severely affected/ inundated/ marooned due to the current flood.

One polythene sheet will be given to each deserving household whose house has been damaged. House damage assistance will be given as per SDRF norms. Collectors will take steps to assess house damage within 15 days and disburse assistance in the next 7 days.

Assistance for clothing and utensils will be given as per SDRF norms. Cattle feed assistance will be given to dairy farmers as per SDRF norms. Exemption of user fees for vaccination and treatment of mals in flood-affected areas will also be provided. Free mal check-up camps will be set up in affected areas. For all other affected districts, assistance shall be distributed as per SDRF norms.

Patnaik on Monday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the state and said expeditious steps are being taken to restore normal life in those areas.

"Undertook an aerial survey of flood-affected areas. #OdishaFlood has waterlogged many districts, marooned many villages, agricultural crops, damaged houses, disrupted roads and other infrastructure. Expeditious steps are being taken to restore normal life in flood affected areas," Patnaik tweeted.

As per Sunday's data 17 people died and over 10,000 houses were damaged in flood-related incidents in Odisha. About 2,000 people from low-lying areas of Sambalpur city were shifted to flood relief centres, after water entered many areas causing a flood-like situation, following the discharge of huge volume of water from Hirakud Dam.

Seventeen people have died in flood-related incidents and about 10,382 houses damaged due to floods in Odisha. A total of 14,32,701 people have been affected by floods in 3,256 villages of 20 districts, said the Odisha government on Sunday.

According to a report on the flood situation on Sunday, the number of districts affected was 20 including Angul, Balasore, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Boudh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khordha, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Puri, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundargarh.

( With inputs from ANI )