Fani restoration: Concerted efforts to restore normalcy

Reporters Today, BHUBANESWAR, MAY 21: Relentless efforts of the State government supported by determined will power and cooperation of the people in the affected areas is paying unexpected dividends in post-Fani restoration work.

Commitment of officers, employees and volunteers engaged in the restoration work has brought change in the shattered daily life of people and been able to usher normalcy in ravaged areas, said officials.

The release Energy infrastructure has regained pre-FANI status through major repairing and strengthening in all affected districts and more than 90% consumers have been given electricity connection.

In Puri, electricity restoration work is being carried out in full swing. Daily necessities of affected people have been fulfilled as relief assistance and monthly pension assistance have been disbursed. There is a visible development in the field of water supply, health services and safety of animal resources.

Relief Distribution: More than 95 per cent of affected beneficiaries have been provided with cash component as relief assistance. In Puri district 94.4 per cent and in Khurda 98.7 per cent of beneficiaries have received the cash component.

On May 18 the Principal Secretary, Finance Department held a video conference with the Collectors of the 14 cyclone-affected districts and advised them to convene the meetings of their respective District Consultative Committees latest by May 31 and to facilitate assessment of crop loss by May 25 and organise camps to collect applications from the cyclone victims for sanction of fresh loans and restructuring of the existing loans.

He also instructed the Collectors to see that banks come forward to sanction consumption loan of Rs. 10,000/- immediately to affected people without any collateral.

Health and Family Welfare Department has taken utmost care for health services and awareness campaigns in the affected areas. 46 numbers of medical relief centres are functioning in Puri. 20 doctors and 200 multipurpose health workers are working to provide immediate health services in the affected GPs of Puri and Khurda.

More than 1, 45,699 open water sources have been disinfected by now and more than 21, 112 sanitation and cleanliness drives have been undertaken by the Gram Kalyan Samitis and other NGOs. More than 28 lakh 55 thousand ORS packets and 29.04 lakh Hologen tablets have been distributed among the cyclone affected people.

Telecommunication: Substantial progress in Telecommunication Sector has been made possible while 87 per cent of mobile towers in Khurda district have become operational.

In Puri and Cuttack districts 64 per cent and 96 per cent of towers are functioning respectively. Mobile tower operation has gone up to 88 pc, 59 pc and 96 pc in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack town respectively.

As on Monday, Bank Branches operational in Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam and Kendrapara are 94.14 pc, 98.63 pc, 99.49 pc, 97.56 pc, 99.77 pc and 100 per cent respectively.

All the consumers in Cuttack CDD-I division have been supplied with power connection while in CDD-II, 64, 196 out of 69, 031 consumers have been connected. In Cuttack CED, 71, 200 urban and rural consumers out of 95,599 have been given connection.

Till date, 92 per cent of electricity consumers in Cuttack district have got electricity. While connectivity to all the consumers has been completed in Bhubaneswar BCDD-I Division, in BCDD-II Division, 14, 7531 rural and urban consumers have been provided with power connection.

Communication and transportation system have been improved by clearing 1977 roads which were obstructed due to Fani. Nearly 1, 45,000 uprooted trees have been shifted.

On the other hand government has taken steps to plant 1, 30, 00, 000 trees in the affected areas. As on today, Odisha Forest Development Corporation has cut 8,900 uprooted trees in Puri town while it has cut 27,900 uprooted trees in Bhubaneswar city. So far OFDC has cut 36,800 uprooted trees.