ELECTION 99
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Thousands feared killed, 15 million marooned in Orissa

Thousands were feared killed and about 15 million marooned as power and communication links remained in disarray, hampering relief and rehabilitation work even two days after a super cyclone struck the Orissa coast.

The threat of another cyclone devastating the region this evening blew over with the system weakening. But rains continued to pummel the area for more than 30 hours, making it hard for relief workers to get to the people affected by the cyclone.

Disruption of the communication network and air and ground traffic made it difficult to gauge the extent of damage caused. But Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang said, "The toll could be in thousands and damage to property beyond description with one-third of the state's 35 million-odd population affected."

Bhubaneswar airport remained out of bounds for the second day today with the communication network shattered. Rail and road traffic was disrupted in the coastal areas, which remained without electricity as well.

Even the state capital remained cut off from the rest of the country with a complete shutdown of the electric supply system and extensively damaged television and radio towers and other communication channels.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet met in New Delhi this evening to take stock of the situation. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared it a 'national calamity' and announced an assistance package of Rs 3 billion to the state.

The package includes Rs 1 billion from the National Fund for Calamity Relief and Rs 2 billion as advance support. This is in addition to Rs 2.5 billion released to the state government by the prime minister after his recent visit after the cyclone that struck the state's southern coast about 10 days ago.

Gamang chaired a meeting of the state Cabinet this evening to come to grips with the situation. He later convened an all-party meeting to discuss relief measures.

Earlier in the day, a central ministerial team had to abandon its planned aerial survey of the marooned areas as the special Indian Air Force aircraft carrying them could not land in the state.

The team consisted of Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes, Mines and Minerals Minister Naveen Patnaik and Tribal Affairs Minister Juel Oram. It was diverted to the Kalaikunda air force base in West Bengal on the Orissa border, from where the ministers took off in two helicopters for the affected districts.

But they again had to beat a retreat after covering barely 30 km owing to heavy rains and high-speed winds. "We might have to undertake another trip to the areas in the next 48 hours," Fernandes told reporters on the way back to Delhi.

Patnaik said, "The 1971 cyclone with less intensity had claimed more than 10,000 lives. One can imagine the loss of life and properties now."

Fernandes said more than 5,000 personnel from the army, navy and air force had been moved in for relief operations. The army personnel, including infantry battalions, engineering and medical units, and signals attachments have been moved from Calcutta, Ranchi and Chandigarh. "Two An-32 and one Il-76 IAF cargo aircraft are ready with 50 tonnes of supplies at Delhi airport, awaiting clearance from Bhubaneswar," Fernandes said.

A field ambulance unit with eight medical officers, one surgeon, 30 paramedical personnel, 30 ambulances and over 300 other ranks had left by road from Ranchi, he said.

Chief Minister Gamang said army units stationed in Orissa with food packets and other essential supplies were waiting for the rains to stop to move out to the affected areas. "We expect these supplies to reach the victims from tomorrow," he said. "A ship carrying food has already left Visakhapatnam [in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh] and is also expected to reach Paradip by tomorrow morning."

Ten districts bore the brunt of the cyclone, including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Khurda, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore. Paradip port has been devastated and seawater up to five feet deep has inundated areas up to 15km inland.

Road communication between the state capital and Cuttack, 21km apart, was revived today. But National Highway 4 linking Calcutta and Madras through many major cities in Orissa, including Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Berhampur, remained blocked by breaches and obstructions.

Some trains originating from Orissa and passing through the affected areas were diverted while inbound ones were terminated at Howrah and Kharagpur in West Bengal.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report