Finance
On Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an initial flood relief package of ₹110 crore for people affected by the ongoing floods in Odisha. He directed officials to ensure the immediate release of assistance and promised additional financial support after the final assessment of damages.
The statement came after the Chief Minister performed an airborne reconnaissance of flood-affected areas and appointed ministers to oversee relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts in several districts. The state government stated that flood management actions are ongoing on a war footing with the utmost priority, with the administration working around the clock to restore order.
The administration stated that gratis support will continue to be supplied to all eligible families in flood-affected areas until the situation stabilized. Families with severely damaged dwellings would receive ₹1.20 lakh for repairs, according to State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) guidelines. Assistance has been given for partially damaged dwellings, including ₹6,500 for pucca houses, ₹4,000 for kutcha houses, ₹8,000 for thatched houses, and ₹3,000 for animal sheds.
Small and marginal farmers would be compensated for agricultural and horticultural losses at ₹8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated land, ₹17,000 per hectare for irrigated land, and ₹22,500 per hectare for perennial crops.
The state government also announced ex gratia assistance for the families of six persons who lost their lives in the floods. The next of kin of each deceased will receive ₹24 lakh in accordance with SDRF norms.
Compensation has also been approved for livestock losses, including ₹37,500 for each milch animal such as a cow or buffalo, ₹32,000 for each draught animal, ₹20,000 for each calf, donkey or mule, and ₹4,000 for every goat or sheep lost in the floods.
According to the government, the floods have affected 85 blocks, 15 urban local bodies, 656 gram panchayats and 1,458 villages across 22 districts. Around 8,63,909 people have been impacted, while 2,67,301 persons have been shifted to safer locations as a precautionary measure.
There are now 529 aid camps and 31 animal camps in operation. Relief supplies supplied thus far include approximately 41 quintals of rice, 1,115 quintals of flattened rice (chuda), 496 quintals of jaggery, 3,869 polythene sheets, and other necessary items. Additionally, 1,816 metric tonnes of cow feed have been provided to assist livestock owners.
Rescue efforts are being carried out by 199 teams, including 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, and 172 Fire Service teams.
According to preliminary estimates, six people perished in the floods, 3,567 dwellings were damaged, and around 33,458.30 hectares of agricultural land were affected.
The administration stated that relief, rescue, and rehabilitation operations are ongoing on a war footing in the worst-hit districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur, where food, drinking water, healthcare, veterinary services, polythene sheets, and other critical help are being supplied. The worst-affected districts have already received ₹26 crore in advance assistance to support ongoing relief activities.
