BHUBANESWAR : A seven-member Central team led by Joint Secretary in Home Ministry Sunil Kumar Barnwal will begin damage assessment in cyclone Yaas-affected four districts of the State from Monday.
The team is scheduled to visit Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj districts on Monday and Tuesday to assess the damage inflicted by the cyclone.
The team will meet Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra and Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena either on Tuesday evening or Wednesday for a wrap up meeting.
The State government in its final damage assessment report had pegged the loss due to the cyclone at Rs 610 crore.
Out of this, damage to government infrastructure was estimated at Rs 520 crore while the loss of property was pegged at Rs 90 crore.
According to government report, over 60 lakh people in 11,000 villages of the four coastal districts were affected due to the cyclone.
Official sources said the team will assess the crop damage due to saline inundation in Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara, and large-scale destruction of trees by the cyclone particularly in Similipal in Mayurbhanj district.
The government had assessed that there has been saline inundation of 153 hectare resulting in crop loss to which the Opposition political parties had disagreed.
After making an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected areas of the State on May 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced financial assistance of `500 crore to the State for immediate relief and restoration measures.
However, the government had raised two issues before the Centre - a disaster resilient power infrastructure and strengthening of embankments in coastal areas to withstand storm surge.
State’s estimation
Damage to government infrastructure was estimated at Rs 520 crore.
Loss of property was pegged at Rs 90 crore.
Over 60 lakh people affected.
11,000 villages in four coastal districts hit.