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Rescue and relief work begins in devastated Orissa

The army began opening up main road links and naval craft were sailing in as rescue work began in full swing in the coastal areas of Orissa which were devastated by a super cyclone on Friday.

The Sambalpur-Cuttack and Balasore-Bhubaneswar national highways were partially cleared by the army, which rescued 6,000 people marooned at Balasore.

Thousands have been feared killed, 15 million marooned, and more than 2.5 million houses damaged in the super cyclone, which pounded the coastal belt for almost 30 hours since Friday morning.

Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, who made an aerial survey of Paradeep, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts, told United News of India on telephone that rescue and relief work were in full swing with the help of the army, the navy and the air force.

But according to a STAR TV report, there was complete lawlessness in the capital, with people fighting it out for food rations, petrol and other essential commodities. People were also looting trucks that had begun moving along some of the roads which had been restored. The government machinery appeared to have collapsed.

Chief Secretary S B Mishra said Bhubaneswar airport was made operational this afternoon. But no contact could be made with the worst-affected Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts.

The other affected districts are Cuttack, Jajpur, Balasore, Khurda, Bhadrah and Puri.

Indian Airlines will resume its operations to Bhubaneswar from tomorrow morning. Two extra flights will be operated at 0700 IST and 1030 IST besides the scheduled flight at 1200 IST, IA sources said in Delhi.

An army helicopter today helped in rescue operations. Two more will join in from the Chilika air base tomorrow, Gamang said. A naval ship from Visakhapatnam is reaching tomorrow to join in the rescue and relief.

Meanwhile, nearly 400 fishermen were still missing in Digha in West Bengal. "At least 40 trawlers carrying over 400 fishermen have been missing since Friday and we are trying to trace them," Pranab Kar, secretary of the Digha Fishermen and Fish Traders' Organisation, said.

Two trawlers carrying 18 fishermen today returned to Balaramguri and Dhamra at Bhadrak in Orissa.

Gamang said the Centre has sanctioned Rs 5 billion and the government had already received Rs 3 billion.

A relief train carrying 50 tonnes of medical supplies left Delhi today. Two trucks carrying medicines have already reached Balasore. Water purification tablets were airlifted to Calcutta this evening from Delhi and two medical teams of 11 doctors are going to Bhubaneswar.

Andhra Pradesh today despatched 25 tonnes of flattened rice, 21 tonnes of biscuits, bread and other food items. Five thousand food packets are being prepared for airdropping from Kharagpur. West Bengal is sending four tonnes of food items, blankets and clothing to help the victims.

Andhra Pradesh also sent a team of 100 engineers to Chhatarpur district for restoring road links.

Army sources said the general officer commanding, 23 Infantry Division, Ranchi, had been named the overall force commander for relief and rescue. Army engineers are expected to fly generator sets and communication equipment to the affected areas tomorrow.

Two INMARSAT terminals have already been moved from Delhi to Balasore and the third will be flown to Bhubaneswar.

Power supply to the affected districts was yet to be restored. Power was restored in the state secretariat while the telephone lines were partially repaired, Gamang said. Drinking water supply in the capital would start by evening, he added.

A special train carrying 300 tonnes of polythene rolls, 50 tonnes of medicine, clothes, biscuit, milk powder, candles, match boxes and other essential items left for Orissa this evening from Delhi.

Principal Resident Commissioner of Orissa Prasanna Kumar Hota told UNI that the special rake of 10 wagons would go up to Balasore. Another rake carrying 2,000 tonnes of edible items left Waltair for Khurda Road this morning.

Hota said Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, the states bordering Orissa, are also rushing relief supplies to the nearest accessible point.

Meanwhile, the meteorological department said the super cyclone had considerably weakened. At 1130 IST it was centred as a depression over the north Orissa coast near Chandbali and is likely to move north-east slowly and weaken.

Fairly widespread rain with isolated heavy falls and squalls reaching 50-60 kph are likely over Orissa and parts of West Bengal in the next 24 hours, the met department said.

UNI

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