Odisha govt issues directions to assess damage caused by heavy rains

PK Jena, Special Relief Commissioner on Saturday, October 26, wrote to all Collectors in the state of Odisha directing them to assess the damage to private properties due to recent heavy rainfall that occurred during October 23-25. Collectors have been asked to submit an assessment report by November 4, following which payment will be made under the norms of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)/National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

'Disbursement must be done through direct transfer'

Jena wrote, 'The state government has already declared "Heavy Rain" as State Specific Disaster within the local context for which expenditure on relief measures and immediate repair/restoration of damaged public infrastructure shall be met from SDRF within the limit of 10 per cent of the annual allocation of the SDRF'.

Jena instructed that the assessment of damage to private properties in different sectors such as houses, agriculture (crop loss of 33% and above), agriculture land, and enumeration of beneficiaries have to be taken up on priority so that the assistance can be paid to the affected person expeditiously to enable them to repair or reconstruct their houses and restore livelihood. He said that the disbursement must be done through direct transfer i.e., by way of transfer of the amount to the account of the beneficiaries.

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Heavy Rain Batters Odisha

At least three persons were killed and four others injured as heavy rain triggered by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal lashed Odisha for the third day in a row throwing life out of gear at several places, officials said on Friday. The rain battered coastal, southern and central Odisha for the past two days and eight districts received over 100 millimetres of rain since Thursday, October 24. All the casualties also occurred on Thursday and due to wall collapse in three districts, officials said. A man was killed while his wife and another family member were injured at Mishramal village in Keonjhar district. In another incident, one person died and his wife and daughter were injured at Bhadua village of Balasore district. Another person was killed in Kumbharpara area of Puri.

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Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradip Jena said the district administrations have been asked to remain prepared to deal with waterlogging and possible flood. More than 100 mm rainfall was received in eight districts - Bhadrak (152 mm), Puri (134 mm), Cuttack (130 mm), Balasore and Jajpur (127.8 mm), Khurda (116.8 mm), Kendrapara (104.6 mm) and Jagatsinghpur (100.1 mm) - since Thursday.

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(With agency inputs)