Odisha govt estimates flood damage at Rs 218 Cr

Highlights

• Flood damage report has been sent to Centre
• Flood had occurred in five districts of the state in July this year

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has estimated the total cost of damage due to flood in five districts at Rs 218.72 crore.

Based on the reports received from different departments and the affected districts, the financial loss caused by these floods has been estimated at Rs. 218.72 crores.

The report on damages on account of floods has been sent to Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Government of India has been requested to take expeditious steps for restoration of the damaged Railway Bridges (Railway Bridge near Kartikguda and Railway Bridge between Therubali & Singapur RD stations) & tracks, damaged national highways and the telecom lines.

The southern districts of Rayagada, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Nawarangpur and Koraput have severely affected due to heavy rain and floods in river Nagavali, Kalyani, Indravati, Turi, Bhaskel, Bangeri, Hati, and other river systems during 15th – 19th July of 2017.

The district of Rayagada especially its two scheduled tribe dominated Blocks Kalyansinghpur and Rayagada were the worst affected due to flood in Rivers Nagavali and Kalyani.

The disaster severely affected the lives and private as well as public properties in the affected districts. About 1.82 lakh people in 528 villages of 33 Blocks of these five districts were affected by these floods.

Though there was no human casualty directly on account of the flood, two people died in Kalahandi district due to landslide and another in Malkangiri district due to wall collapse.

Notably, there was no human casualty in the worst affected Rayagada district due to proactive steps of the state government.

As per preliminary assessment, as many as 5136 private houses have been damaged.

Similarly, the flood water has badly affected 23991 hect. of agriculture land including 169.6 hect. of paddy nursery area, 21978 hect. of paddy area and 2013 hect. of the non-paddy area. Agriculture land to the extent of 110.66 hect. has been sand cast in Nawarangpur district.

Massive damage has been caused to public properties like canal/ river embankments, roads, bridges, culverts, drains, water works, tube wells, LI points, electrical installations, telecommunications infrastructure, Government buildings, etc.

As many as 116 nos. of PWD roads measuring 597.125 km have been damaged. Also, 160 CD works on PWD roads have been damaged and 31 breaches had occurred on PWD roads. Similarly, rural roads measuring the length of 128.320 km have been badly damaged. As many as 71 breaches have occurred on rural roads, 66 CD works have been damaged and 7 CDs have been washed away.

Due to floods and heavy rain, properties/ infrastructure of residential schools under SSD, roads, water supply, drainage, electricity, plantations have been badly damaged. 96 nos. of utilities have been damaged. Six nos. of LAC building have been damaged.

Extensive damage has also occurred to soil conservation structures, water harvesting structures and check dams in Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Malkangiri districts.

As many as 83 Anganwadi Centres, 84 Primary and Upper Primary Schools and 38 High Schools have been damaged due to floods in Rayagada & Kalahandi districts. 372 Lift Irrigation Points of Kalahandi Districts have been damaged due to flood water.