TV
Cyclone Dana has inflicted widespread damages in Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak districts in the State. While many old and huge trees have been uprooted, electric polls have been broken in the gusty wind. As a result, houses of many people have been damaged and roads have been blocked. While standing crops have also been damaged due to the cyclonic storm, some low-lying areas have been inundated with rainwater causing inconvenience for the residents.
Bhitarkanika, Rajnagar, Bagapatia and Jambu in Kendrapara district and Dhamra, Chandbali and Basudevpur in Bhadrak district have mainly faced the fury of the cyclonic storm during the landfall. While roofs of some thatched houses have been blown away, roads have been blocked due to the uprooting of huge trees. Power supply has been disrupted as electric poles have been damaged in many places.
Take the case of Debanarayanpur village where the house of an old man has been severely damaged as a huge tree fell on it. Though the elderly couple managed to save their lives by taking shelter in a nearby house, their thatched house has been completely damaged. The old couple was crestfallen over the incident.
“A huge tree fell on our thatched house at around midnight and it has been damaged. We don’t know where we will live now. We are completely helpless,” said the old man with tears in his eyes.
As many as four persons in Uchadian village in Bhadrak have lost their houses. Roads have been blocked at many places in the district as huge trees have been uprooted. ODRAF teams were found busy clearing the roads by cutting the trees.
Many fishing boats have been damaged in Soro area in Balasore district due to the gusty wind and high tides in the sea. Many low-lying areas in Nilagiri have been inundated with excessive rainwater. Even water entered into some houses causing severe inconvenience for the residents. More than 2,000 people from 500 families have been stranded due to waterlogging in Bagapatia area in Kendrapara district. A physically-disabled woman was found to be rescued by some villagers with the help of a container.
“A physically-disabled woman and her son could not come to the cyclone shelter and they were stranded at their house as the area was inundated with rainwater. They had been without food for the past 24 hours. Somehow, we managed to rescue them and bring them to a safer place,” said a resident of Bagapatia.
Power services have been disrupted in Udala area under Mayurbhanj district due to damage to the electric poles. As per sources, it will take time for the restoration of power services in the area considering the ground situation.
Gusty wind and severe rain have inflicted severe damage to the standing paddy crops and vegetable cultivation in Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts. Farmers in the district are crestfallen over the incident.
