Odisha: More than 1.5 lakh still have no electricity

Basic services like electricity have not yet reached many Fani victims in Odisha, though a month has already gone by since the extremely severe cyclonic storm ravaged the coastal belt of the state, on May 3 morning.

As per the records available with the state’s special relief commissioner(SRC), more than 1.5 lakh electricity consumers are yet to get power supply in the fourteen affected districts despite the authorities claim of restoration work on war-footing.

Power situation continues to remain grim particularly in Puri district which was worst hit by the cyclone.

About 48 per cent of the affected people in the coastal district have still remained without power.

Fani had its landfall near the popular temple town of Puri which is headquarters of Puri district. However, authorities maintained that normalcy will be restored in the coastal district before the coming Rath Yatra which will be celebrated in the first week of July.

Four per cent of the affected people are also yet to get electricity supply in Khurda, the second worst cyclone-affected coastal district. Capital city Bhubaneswar is part of Khurda district.

The SRC office claimed that normal drinking water supply had been restored in all the rural and urban areas in the affected districts though reports of a shortage of drinking water had been reaching the state headquarters from interior pockets on daily basis. “Additional water is being supplied to some affected pockets through water tankers and seven mobile water treatment plants”, officials in the revenue department said.

Debris which include uprooted trees and broken tree branches besides damaged electric poles are yet to be removed and cleared in many affected districts. Forget about interior pockets, even in the capital city Bhubaneswar uprooted trees and tree branches, as well as electric poles, are still laying in several areas making life miserable for residents.

“The authorities have cleared the main roads. But uprooted trees and tree branches and other debris are still laying on lanes and by-lanes and interior roads in several colonies. In some areas half of roads are still covered with debris”, said Asutosh Mishra, a resident of Nilakantah Nagar of the city.

What has surprised many is the state government’s failure to prepare a final report on the loss and damages due to the cyclone which was to be submitted to the Centre by May end. “The damages are being assessed afresh to cover all the victims and that is the reason behind the delay”, said newly appointed revenue and disaster management minister Sudam Marandi.