Odisha CM makes aerial survey of flood-affected areas, seeks report in seven days

Asks collector to ensure not a single flood-hit is deprived of govt aid

MALKANGIRI : Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi who conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected Malkangiri district on Thursday has directed collector Asish Iswar Patil to submit the damage assessment report within seven days.

Majhi, who was accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja and additional chief secretary-cum-SRC DK Singh, also took stock of the situation in a meeting with Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, Malkangiri MLA Narasingh Madkami, collector, and SP Nitesh Wadhwani at the zilla parishad conference hall.

Majhi emphasised the need for accurate damage assessment and fast delivery of compensation for affected residents. He also asked the collector to ensure that not a single flood-affected is deprived of government assistance.

Repair of kutcha houses, restoration of power supply as well as provision of safe drinking water to prevent outbreak of water-borne diseases must be the top priority of the administration, the chief minister said.

He said preparedness of district and police administration ensured a zero casualty scenario.

Minister Suresh Pujari said the early warning enabled the state government to prepare in advance resulting in no casualties.

Union Home minister Amit Shah was in constant touch with CM Majhi to coordinate response efforts. The central government was prepared to support with NDRAF teams and had BSF on standby, he said.

Pujari lauded the fire services and ODRAF for their exceptional response to the situation. Six ODRAF teams and five fire service teams were deployed in Malkangiri, effectively managing the crisis.

He informed that floods submerged 8,830 hectares of crop land, partially damaged 576 houses, and completely destroyed 21 homes. Damage to 15 roads was also reported.

Pujari said measures are in place to ensure that Malkangiri remains connected and accessible during natural disasters. The state aims to complete all necessary repairs and improvements by December 2025.