Odisha Ramps Up Relief Efforts After Cyclone Dana

In Odisha, relief and restoration work is ongoing at war footing to bring back normalcy in the cyclone ‘Dana’-battered coastal districts of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Jagatsinghpur. Personnel from NDRF, ODRAF, Fire Services, Energy, and other departments are working round the clock to restore road connectivity and power supply by tonight.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has been reviewing the post-cyclone situation in Bhubaneswar since morning and has asked the collectors of affected districts to assess the damages caused by ‘Dana’ and submit their reports by today. Mr. Majhi said the state has achieved its ‘Zero Casualty Mission,’ as there have been no reports of any loss of human life due to the severe cyclonic storm.

Meanwhile, Dana, which made landfall last midnight for about nine hours between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dharma on the Odisha coast, has weakened into a deep depression and is crossing north Odisha at a speed of 7 kilometres per hour. It had snapped power lines in several areas, uprooted a large number of big trees and electric poles, damaged thatched and asbestos houses, and caused crop loss in thousands of hectares of paddy fields in the region.

‘Power infrastructure has



sustained extensive damage in Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha under the impact of severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’. Power distribution companies have mobilised manpower and resources immediately following the severe cyclone. Power restoration efforts are in progress for nearly one million consumers, with 90 percent restoration expected by tonight. Roads have been cleared at several places in the cyclone-affected districts within four hours of completion of the landfall process this morning. No disruptions in the telecommunications sector have been reported due to the severe cyclone.

The state government has already asked the district collectors to take steps for the cleaning of the water bodies in low-lying villages immediately. The government has also cancelled the leaves of all its employees for two days for relief and restoration works. Some villages in the cyclone-affected areas are marooned with rainwater. Parts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, and Jajpur districts are still experiencing rainfall. The Simlipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district has been closed till Sunday for the tourists as rain is continuing in the area.