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Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (IANS) Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday said the Odisha government has launched a comprehensive survey to assess the damage caused by heavy rains and landslides caused by Cyclone Montha in several districts of the state.
Speaking to media persons, Pujari said the cyclone struck the state during the harvesting season when crops were either ready for harvesting or were already being harvested in many areas. However, heavy rains caused by the cyclone have caused widespread damage to standing crops, especially rice, cotton and vegetables in many districts.
“The process of assessing the damage caused by the heavy rains caused by the cyclone began today. We have directed all district administrations to complete the damage assessment within three days,” the minister said.
He said that within the next 72 hours, all affected districts will have to submit detailed reports covering damage caused to crops, houses, roads, public infrastructure and agricultural land. “After receiving the report, the government will take immediate steps to ensure relief and rehabilitation for the affected families,” Pujari said.
The minister further informed that officials from districts where there has been minimal or no damage will be temporarily deputed to the most affected areas to help assess the damage. “We have decided to mobilize revenue department officials from areas with negligible impact to expedite the assessment process in the affected areas,” he said.
Pujari said that district collectors and departmental officials have been instructed to remain on high alert and take all necessary steps for speedy restoration work. “Each department has been directed to coordinate effectively to ensure that damaged infrastructure and essential services are restored as soon as possible,” he said.
The minister also said that landslides have emerged as a new challenge in some hilly areas, especially in Gajapati district, which was not prone to such incidents earlier. “Landslides have become a new concern in some parts of the state. We will study their pattern carefully and prepare an action plan to reduce future risks,” Pujari said.
He further said that the state government will develop a dedicated disaster management strategy to deal with such situations in future, thereby ensuring better inter-departmental coordination to deal with secondary hazards caused by landslides and extreme weather events.
–IANS
gyan/pgh