Date:26/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/26/stories/2007102657980300.htm

Other States - Orissa

State seeks over 1,000 cr. towards relief

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa Government has sought financial assistance of Rs 1,093.53 crores from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) to complete the relief and immediate restoration measures for the damage caused due to flood in 2007.

Revenue and Disaster Department Minister Manmohan Samal submitted the final memorandum to a nine-member Central team headed by Naveen Verma, joint secretary in charge of North East in Ministry of Home Affairs.

The team would separately visit five districts ravaged by floods during August and September. The State Government also demanded special allocation of 30,983 Indira Awas Yojna houses for flood victims of the BPL category.

"During the flood, kharif crops of 1,97,632 ha agricultural land were fully damaged. Due to persistent flooding, further crops could not be taken up during the season. Floods shattered the hopes of any alternative crop in the affected areas," the memorandum said.

The State Government had spent Rs. 82.72 crore from Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) while only Rs. 7.18 was lying unspent. As per the final memorandum, 59 persons had lost their lives due to floods.Besides, the State Government listed out crumbled infrastructure including urban and rural drinking water supply, public roads, houses, school buildings, river embankment and irrigation projects which needed to be restored.

About 42.35 lakh people in 15 districts were affected while 76902 houses were damaged during three back-to-back floods during August and September that witnessed formation of low pressure area and depression over Bay of Bengal.