Odisha cyclone: Centre and global agencies extend support

Surjit Kumar Dhal,Bubaneswar, May 16: Promises of help have poured in from the central government as well as international agencies, including the United Nations, for speedy restoration work in cyclone-ravaged Odisha.

                 At least 64 people were killed and more than 5 lakh dwelling units were damaged in the state’s coastal districts.

                 The inter-ministerial team, which wrapped up its three-day visit to the cyclone-hit areas, assured the state government that the Centre would provide all support for the restoration work in all the 14 districts that have been affected by Fani, including the worst-hit Puri.

                 An international delegation comprising officials of the United Nations, World Bank and Asian Development Bank and other organisations, led by the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, met state government officials and assured them of support for the improvement of the prevailing situation in the coastal region, an official said.

                 “The state government sought support from the agencies in developing disaster-resilient infrastructure in power, telecom and water supply in view of Odisha’s vulnerability to natural calamities. The international agencies promised full support in this regard,” he said.

                 The central government has been assisting the cyclone-ravaged state and will continue to do so in restoration and rehabilitation works, central team leader Vivek Bharadwaj, an additional secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, told reporters.