Odisha Steps Up Drinking Water, Road Restoration In Cyclone-Hit Districts
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has intensified drinking water supply and road restoration operations in cyclone-hit Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts, deploying engineers, water tankers and emergency teams to restore essential services.
According to officials, the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Department has repaired 4,475 of the 4,572 cyclone-damaged handpumps and restored 247 of the 593 affected piped water supply projects. It has also disinfected 265 water sources and tested water samples from 3,882 handpumps and 244 piped water sources.
To meet emergency requirements, 4.22 lakh water bottles and 3.18 lakh water pouches have been distributed. As many as 235 water tankers, 80 tractor-mounted water tanks and 16 water supply tractors have been deployed in
rural areas. Another 23 tankers are serving Berhampur, while 84 diesel generators are being used to maintain water supply in areas facing power disruptions.
Meanwhile, road restoration work is underway across the three districts. In Ganjam, 110 of the 166 reported road breaches have been closed, while debris has been cleared from 11 landslide-hit locations. Restoration is continuing at the remaining breach sites and on 186 damaged roads.
In Gajapati, debris
has been cleared from 19 affected roads, while traffic has been restored on five waterlogged roads. In Kandhamal, 11 of the 31 road breaches have been closed, with work underway on the remaining 20. Restoration of 38 damaged roads is also in progress.
The Rural Development Department has kept emergency control rooms and rescue teams operational round the clock. The government said senior officials are monitoring the operations to ensure the early restoration of safe drinking water and road connectivity in the affected areas.
