Odisha to Release Flood Relief Funds Within 24 Hours of Report Submission

Bhubaneswar: In a prompt move to address the ongoing flood situation in northern Odisha, the state government has announced that financial aid from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) will be released within 24 hours of receiving damage assessment reports from the affected districts.

The announcement was made on Monday by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, who said that all district collectors and departmental secretaries have been directed to expedite reporting to ensure immediate support reaches flood-impacted families.

“Once reports are submitted, we are setting a strict 24-hour window for fund release from the SDRF to ensure fast and efficient relief,” said Minister Pujari at a press briefing in Bhubaneswar.

The minister informed that the flood situation in Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts is under control, with residents from vulnerable low-lying areas having been relocated to shelters where they are being provided with essential supplies.

However, Balasore has emerged as the worst-affected district, largely due to heavy rainfall in upstream regions of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, which led to rising water levels. “The water level began rising in Balasore around 9 pm yesterday, but with rainfall now subsiding in the upper catchments, we expect the situation to stabilise,” he added.

The flood impact in Bhadrak and Jajpur has also been brought under control, with relief centres fully operational and supplying food, water, and other essentials to displaced families. Special health safety measures are in place to prevent post-flood diseases. These include disinfection of water sources and drinking water pipelines.

In an important step to tackle snakebite incidents, anti-venom injections have been stocked every 10 km across flood-affected zones, the minister said.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to timely, transparent, and accountable disaster response, Pujari assured that all relief efforts are being closely monitored to ensure the well-being of affected citizens.