Over 14,000 houses damaged in rain & floods in Odisha: Govt

Bhubaneswar: As many as 24 districts out of the total 30 in Odisha were affected by heavy rainfall and floods in Mahanadi and other river systems in the state in the second and third weeks of August this year.

This was revealed by the damage assessment reports submitted by the district collectors.

As per the reports, hundreds of villages and vast tracts of agricultural lands in Angul, Bargarh, Boudh, Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Puri, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Keojhar, Mayurbhanj, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Sundargarh were affected by heavy rain and floods in August.

As many as 14,235 houses and 1,236 cowsheds were damaged by the rain and floods in the state. At least 5,036 hectares of agricultural land were covered with sand and silt while another 1,26, 162 hectares of farmland sustained damage in the natural calamity.

Besides, the rain and floods have damaged 28,382 hectares of fish pond and 483.145 hectares of fish seedlings farm in the affected districts. Similarly, at least 1,125 fishing boats and nets were damaged by the floods, said the reports.

As per the direction of the Chief Minister, the state government has provided Rs 128.58 crore as relief and flood damage assistance to the affected people.

Similarly, the state government has sanctioned Rs 99.92 crore to the flood-hit districts for providing food and other assistance to the affected people.

According to sources, the state government has sanctioned Rs 4353.92 lakh to Water Resources department, Rs 1367.25 lakh to Public Works department, 2414.37 lakh to Rural Development department, 82.46 lakh to the Housing and Urban Development department and Rs 497.51 lakh to the Energy department for restoration work in the flood-hit areas.