Cyclone Titli: Central team visits affected districts of Odisha for damage assessment

A seven-member team of the central government, headed by joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), SK Shahi, reached Odisha to visit cyclone and subsequent flood-affected districts of the state for damage assistance.

Besides MHA, the other members of the team were from all concerned department like Power, Water Resources, Agriculture and Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Rural Development, read a statement.

On the first day of their visit, the central team visited Ganjam district and met the local people to discuss the situation.

The expert team will next assess the damage in Gajapati and nearby areas. Later, the team will also discuss their assessment and findings with senior administrators of the state, followed by submitting their final report to the Centre.

The Odisha government has already submitted a preliminary report to the Centre estimating requirement of the fund as Rs 2770.28 crore and seeking the central assistance of 2014.09 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier also sought the interim assistance of Rs 1000 crore for relief and restoration work in Cyclone affected areas.