Bhubaneswar: A inter-ministerial high-level Central team led by Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry, P.K. Rai to visit Odisha from November 24 to assess damages caused by cyclone Dana, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said here today.
The Severe Cyclonic Storm Dana hit the Odisha coast on October 25 and affected several parts of 14 districts of the State.
The seven-member Central team, during its stay till November 27, will visit the severally -affected areas of Bhadrak, Balasore, and Kendrapara.
The team will be divided into three units and will undertake the assessment of the damage in these areas, he said.
The Central team will conduct a detailed assessment of the post-cyclone situation, the Minister said, adding that the team will also meet the Chief Secretary and have a courtesy meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
He further said the Union government will release financial assistance to the State on the basis of the damage assessment report of the Central team. The state government is trying to build cyclone-resilient infrastructure and houses with support from the central government, he added.
The state government had already disbursed Rs 423 crore as compensation based on reports received from the collectors of the affected districts.
As per the latest data, 14 districts in the state have been impacted by the storm. Crop losses were predominantly reported in Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, and Mayurbhanj districts. Approximately 41 lakh people from 11,637 villages under 131 blocks in 14 districts were affected by the cyclone.