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Cyclone leaves 16 dead in Orissa

At least 16 people were killed as a severe cyclonic storm lashed Orissa coast late last night wreaking havoc in Ganjam and other coastal districts of the state.

Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, who made an aerial survey of the cyclone-battered areas of south Orissa today, told newspersons that of the deceased, ten people were killed in Berhampur town, which was inundated.

The chief minister said the government had sought special central assistance to tackle the situation. Gamang, who had a telephonic discussion with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, apprised him of the gravity of the situation and urged him to send a central team forthwith to assess the loss of human lives and property.

To a question, the chief minister said he had also requested the prime minister to visit the cyclone-affected areas considering the severity of the damages in the coastal districts.

Gamang said most of the people were killed either due to house collapse or uprooting of trees as the cyclonic storm, accompanied by winds, blowing at a speed of over 160 km per hour, hit the Ganjam coast late last night.

Besides Berhampur three people were killed in Khurda district and one each in Puri and Chhatrapur. The chief minister sanctioned Rs 100 million from the Calamity Relief Fund and Rs 2.5 million from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to provide relief.

Since the entire Berhampur town in Ganjam district is inundated and cut off from the rest of the country, the exact estimate of the damages is yet to be calculated.

Gamang, however, claimed that several houses were fully or partially damaged and standing crops and livestock population destroyed.

The state government sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs 25,000 to the next of kin of those killed in the cyclone and Rs ten thousand for the seriously injured people.

It has also been decided to provide Rs ten thousand to the families whose houses collapsed fully and Rs five thousand to those whose houses were partially damaged, Gamang said.

According to preliminary reports, more than 37 villages in Ganjam district had been badly hit due to the cyclone and a swollen Rushikulya river. The national highway five between Berhampur and Icchapuram has been cut off and water was flowing one feet above the road.

The chief minister said army helicopters have been requisitioned and air dropping of food packets to the affected people would commence tomorrow morning.

The government has directed senior officials of the electricity and public health departments to rush to the affected areas and undertake work on a war-footing to restore the power and water supply.

A joint team of police, forest and PWD men have been deployed. A medical team, headed by a joint secretary has been sent to the affected areas to help the victims. Rescue and relief operation was continuing in the areas and the affected people have been shifted to safer places.

State chief secretary Sudhanshu Bhusan Mishra said the Calamity Relief Fund Committee, headed by him, would now sit twice everyday to take stock of the situation. The government has despatched relief materials and sanctioned seven day's emergency relief for the affected people.

UNI

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