Around 208 gram panchayats affected in Ganjam by Arnab: Suresh Pujari: Cyclone Arnab had a devastating impact in Ganjam district. Around 42,500 people have been affected by floods in the region.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari confirmed that Ganjam district has emerged as the worst affected region aftermath cyclone Arnab. According to the minister, floods have affected 208 gram panchayats across 22 blocks in the district. In urban areas, 56 wards across 18 urban local bodies have also been affected.
As many as 22 villages remain marooned. Efforts are underway to evacuate stranded people using helicopters. However, heavy cloud cover has delayed the deployment of helicopters, Pujari said. The state government has increased the deployment of emergency response teams in view of the worsening situation.
At present, 52 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, five National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 45 fire service teams have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.
To facilitate the evacuation of people stranded in flood-hit areas, 16 government boats and 25 privately owned boats have been pressed into service, the minister said.
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Administrative teams are actively evacuating residents from low-lying areas to designated shelter camps while supplying essential food and emergency provisions.
