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Relief efforts stepped up as floodwater starts receding

Photo: PTI

A flood affected family busy in repairing their house at Beruan village in Kendrapada district. —

BHUBANESWAR: With floodwater starting to recede in many affected villages, State government on Friday intensified relief works and announced that it was working on a special package for farmers.

Even a week after flood in Mahanadi River system hitting different districts, a substantial number of villages were marooned by flood waters.The number of villages encircled by water was identified 740. The death toll in the current floods went up to 65 on Friday from 56 on Thursday.

Chairing a high-level review meeting here, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that emphasis would be given to supply of seeds and repair of lift irrigation on a war-footing.

A special package was being worked out to address the miserable condition of farmers who were badly affected by the floods, Mr. Patnaik told at the meeting.

To carry out immediate rehabilitation programme, Rs. 100 crore was released to irrigation department while works and rural development would be receiving Rs. 60 crore and Rs. 56 crore respectively.

The Chief Minister said relief material had reached all the villages and sufficient rice had been procured to carry out relief works for 15 days period. Earlier during the day, Mr. Patnaik visited Balianta on the outskirts of capital city assessing damages and supervising relief operation. Meanwhile, revenue and disaster management department said 2,155 roads were damaged and 459 breaches had occurred on different river embankments in the devastative floods. The total population affected by floods was estimated to be over 41 lakh.

People lost over 1.35 lakh houses while 4,67,953 ha crop area was affected during last one week.

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