Rs 241 Crore Disbursed to Odisha Flood Victims; Damage Assessment to Finish Before Dussehra

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has released Rs 241.37 crore in compensation to people affected by floods and heavy rainfall across the state said, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari
Reviewing the flood situation, Pujari said 28 districts have been affected to varying degrees following prolonged heavy rainfall and multiple flood events this year. More than 37 lakh people have been impacted, while crops spread over two lakh hectares of farmland have suffered damage.

Among the affected districts, Bhadrak has received the highest allocation of Rs 64.54 crore, of which Rs 43.28 crore has already been distributed. Jajpur has been provided around Rs 52.04 crore, with nearly Rs 33.80 crore disbursed so far.
Similarly, Balasore has received Rs 26.92 crore, while around Rs 5.94 crore has been utilised for compensation. In Kendrapara, approximately Rs 16.04 crore has been released, of which Rs 11.21 crore has been distributed.
The minister held discussions with collectors of Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur, directing them to complete the assessment of flood-related damage before Dussehra.
Pujari said the recent deep depression brought heavy rainfall that particularly affected parts of southern Odisha. Despite continued rain making field-level damage assessment difficult, the government has accelerated the compensation process.

He said compensation would be distributed across all affected districts in phases before Dussehra. Assessments of crop losses, damaged houses and human casualties are being carried out simultaneously, with district authorities instructed to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is excluded.
After receiving comprehensive damage reports, the government will also consult district collectors, senior officials and experts to formulate measures for strengthening Odisha’s disaster-resilient infrastructure.