As Cyclone Dana continues to impact communities in Odisha, approximately 50,000 households in the affected districts of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore remain without power. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi provided an update on the situation during a media briefing on Sunday, emphasizing that restoration efforts are in their final stages.
Majhi reported that power has been restored to 98% of the areas affected by the cyclone. Out of the 22.84 lakh power consumers impacted, service has been reinstated for 22.32 lakh households. However, the remaining households are still waiting for power due to marooned villages that have yet to become accessible. “The restoration work has reached the last stage, and obstructions on roads have been completely cleared,” he stated.
Manpower Mobilized For Restoration
To expedite the restoration of power supply, approximately 7,000 workers have been deployed to the cyclone-hit regions. These dedicated teams are working tirelessly to ensure that power is restored to the remaining households as quickly as possible.
In addition to power outages, Cyclone Dana has necessitated the evacuation of over 8 lakh individuals to 6,210 shelter centers. Most evacuees have since returned home as conditions improved; however, around 30,000 individuals remain in 470 shelters due to ongoing flooding that has rendered their homes uninhabitable.
Assessment Of Agricultural Damage
The cyclone has also taken a toll on local agriculture, with preliminary estimates indicating that standing crops over 2.21 lakh acres across 4,100 villages in 12 blocks, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur, and Mayurbhanj, have sustained damage. Chief Minister Majhi explained that a detailed assessment of the damage will occur once floodwaters recede. “Concerned district collectors have been asked to submit a damage assessment report by November 2. After that, compensation will be provided to the affected people,” he added.
Addressing concerns about potential flooding in the Budhabalanga River, the Chief Minister reassured the public that there is currently no flood threat as water levels are starting to recede. He stated, “We are monitoring the situation closely and taking necessary precautions.”
Aerial Surveys Of Affected Areas
To gain a better understanding of the cyclone’s impact, Chief Minister Majhi conducted an aerial survey of the coastal areas in Paradip, Jagatsinghpur district, as well as the Mahakalapada, Rajnagar, and Rajkanika regions of Kendrapara district, and Chandbali in Bhadrak. He plans to continue assessing rain-affected areas in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak districts on Monday.
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