Odisha CM asks collectors to provide cooked food in three flood hit districts

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today directed the district authorities to provide cooked food to flood affected people for next seven days.

Taking stock of situation at a high level meeting with collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada districts through video conferencing, Patnaik asked them to expedite the rescue operations and provide all sorts of assistance including healthcare services in three worst affected districts.

During meeting, Ganjam collector urged the CM for helicopter assistance for rescue and relief operations in the affected areas of the district.

Similarly, Gajapati collector sought more fire service personnel for rescue operations.

Patnaik asked the collectors to submit damage assessment report within 7 days.

Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said that the choppers from Visakhapatnam will be used for operations at Aska and Purusottampur in Ganjam district.

The power services in Ganjam will be restored within 48 hours. However, the services will be delayed in Aska and Purushottampur, he said.

The road communication will be restored in Gajapati district by this evening. All the services will be functional within 72 hours in Rayagada. The power service will be restored in Gajapati district by four days. The doctors from other districts will be deployed in three affected districts, Padhi said.

Notably, the flash flood triggered by severe cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ wreaked havoc in south and coastal districts of Odisha. Three districts – Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada – were the worst affected throwing the normal life out of gear due to incessant rainfall in the past 24 hours.