Balasore: Two days after cyclone ‘Bulbul’ ravaged coastal Odisha, Tourism and Cultural Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi and Bhogarai MLA and District Planning Board chairman Ananta Das Monday conducted field assessment of the losses caused by the storm in Khaira and Bhogarai blocks of Balasore district.
More than 80 per cent of paddy crop was damaged by rain-induced by the cyclonic storm in Khaira block, leaving the farmers in distress, said a report.
Panigrahi along with the officials met and interacted with the people in the block. He assured the people that he would talk to Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo and Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi to arrange compensation for the affected farmers.
MLA Ananta Das visited some areas of Bhogarai block to assess losses caused by Bulbul Sunday morning. Later, he held an emergency review meeting with officials of various departments about expeditious steps to assess damage in Bhograi block Sunday afternoon.
The team prepared a list of the affected farmers and people and made immediate provision to help the people.
Reports from Bhogari said as Bulbul passed along the coast, gales coupled with heavy rains flattened paddy crops, damaged vegetables and destroyed scores of houses in the block.
Communication network has not been restored as roads were still blocked by uprooted trees. Power restoration is another great problem to be resolved in the block.
The MLA and officials scheduled a time-line to restore communication, clearing the mess, supply of drinking water and restoration of power in the block.
MLA Das instructed BDO Diptiranjan Sethi to submit a report on the progress of restoration work within three days.
The MLA assured the people of quick action in the block.
The BDO said the communication in the block would be restored from a fund sanctioned by NABARD. Additional tehsildar Santosh Panigrahi and former Zilla Parisad member Hemanta Behera were present at the meeting.
Notably, Jaleswar, Basta and Baliapal blocks in the district were also affected by the cyclonic storm.