Odisha steps up relief work after Hudhud

The Odisha government has stepped up relief and restoration activities as cyclone Hudhud passed to neighbouring Chhattisgarh on Monday after claiming three lives in the state, damaging about 50,000 thatched houses, electrical infrastructure and roads in four districts.

"There has been extensive damage to residential structures and electrical infrastructure," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters after taking stock of the situation.

With power infrastructures like electric poles, transformers being badly damaged in Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts, restoration work is being done on a 'war footing', Patnaik said, adding 90 per cent of the work would be completed by Monday evening.

He said a total of 2,33,271 people were evacuated to safe places and are now housed in 2,029 shelter homes.

"The affected people may return to their homes once the intensity of the cyclone decreases considerably though mild rain may occur at some places," Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said.

Of the eight identified cyclone-hit districts in the southern region, Mohapatra said four -- Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada -- have been affected the most.

According to preliminary reports 25,000 kutchha houses were damaged in Koraput district, 15,000 houses in Gajapati, 7,000 in Rayagada and 1,000 houses in Malkangiri, the SRC said, adding that reports from other districts were awaited.

Though there was not much damage in Ganjam, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi districts, massive uprooting of trees was reported from Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Nabarangpur, he said.

As the wind speed was about 100 kmph when Hudhud passed Odisha, there has been substantial damage to electrical infrastructures, Energy Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said.

Mohapatra said power supply would be restored in most of the district headquarters and towns in the four worst-hit districts by Monday evening.

For the people in rural and interior parts of the four worst-hit districts, power supply would, however, be restored in three to four days.

"In the area in and around the Southern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha, 24 transformers, 600 electric poles and 75-km of electric wire have been damaged due to the cyclone," he said, adding that restoration teams have already started work and priority is being given to restore power supply to hospitals, district collector's office and water supply units.

Ruling out the possibility of flood, the SRC said though the water level has risen in Bansadhara, Rusikulya and Nagabali rivers, there is no flood situation.

The state government has engaged NDRF and ODRAF personnel in road clearing and road repair works.

“As per the CM's direction, 30 teams of fire service personnel have been sent to Andhra Pradesh with machinery to clear roads and tree cutting,” the SRC said.

Replying to a question, he said there will be no impact of the cyclone from Tuesday. Priority is being given to repair and restoration of roads in bye-election bound Kandhamal district where polling is scheduled on October 15.

The three deceased in Odisha were identified as Puja Mallick (6) and Hemant Mallick (11) of Magarkanda village in Kendrapara district and a 42-year-old fisherman Sudulu Goraya of Penthakata in Puri district, Mohapatra said.

Meanwhile, Hudhud weakened into deep depression while moving northwards and lay centred over south Chhattisgarh and neighbourhood, about 90-km south of Raipur, informed the meteorological office.

It would move northwards for next 12 hours and then north-northeastwards. It will weaken into a depression during next three hours and into a well marked low pressure area during subsequent 12 hours.