PURI: A 22-member global team toured cyclone Fani-ravaged Puri district and inspected the damage caused to infrastructure.The team comprising 22 members from World Bank, World Health Organisation, United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF, ILO, GoD, FAO, ADB, UNESCO and UNICEF visited Krushnaprasad, Brahmagiri, Kanas, Satyabadi, Nimapara, Puri Sadar blocks and Puri municipality areas on Sunday.
Besides touring the areas, they interacted with people who were rendered homeless in Fani and inspected the damaged greenery and the wildlife sanctuary. The team members also interacted with betel vine farmers in Nimapara, poultry farmers and visited the areas where agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and coconut farms have been wiped out. Damage to public buildings, heritage sites and scores of hotels crippling the hospitality industry and tourism were also inspected by the team. They took note of huge damage to educational institutions and the plight of people in Pentakota, Baliapanda and Baliupar slums in Puri municipality.
Informing the team’s visit to mediapersons, Collector Balwant Singh said measures have been taken to ensure that people do not have to struggle for food. Free rice bags are being distributed among those not having ration cards and assessment of 70 per cent of damaged houses has been completed, said Singh.
Meanwhile, various departments in the district have submitted their damage estimate report to the administration. As per the report, power supply network sustained highest loss of `1,110 crore, educational institutions `305 crore, tourism `250 crore, water supply system `51.46 crore, health and family welfare `30 crore, roads and building `84 crore, irrigation `78 crore, Sri Jagannath Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya `16 crore, forest `39.59 crore, sewer system `3.26 crore, rural water supply `12 crore and agriculture `32 crore.
