Flash flood in Odisha: SRC seeks damage assessment report from 9 collectors 

Bhubaneswar: The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi has asked the Collectors of nine districts to submit a report on damage caused due to heavy rainfall that triggered flash flood in several parts of the State.

The SRC directed the Collectors of--Bolangir, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangur, Rayagada and Sambalpur districts to submit a detailed report by August 17 on the damage to public properties due to the recent floods and heavy rainfall.

There are reports of massive damage in the nine districts due to heavy rainfall that lashed the State during last week of July and first week of August.

"The assessment of damage to public properties such as houses, animal, husbandry, loss of boat and net, damage of fish pond/fish seed farm, sand cast, damage to crop and loss to handloom and handicraft artisans and enumeration of beneficiaries has to be taken up on priority so that assistance as per the norms of SDRF/NDRF can be paid to affected persons expeditiously," said the SRC in a letter issued to the Collectors on Saturday.

He said a squad approach must be followed to assess the damage and adequate number of teams comprising members from different departments should be formed.

While covering an affected village, the teams will assess and enumerate beneficiaries in all sectors simultaneously. The supervising officers shall conduct test checks to ensure correctness in the assessment, Sethi said.

He asked officials to collect the bank details of the beneficiaries for online transfer of compensation.

Sethi also instructed various departments including Agriculture, Health, School and Mass Education, and Women and Child Development to submit assessment reports on damage to public infrastructure.

(With agency inputs)