Super cyclone Amphan, which brushed past Odisha’s coast on Wednesday, has left about 45 lakh people affected in the State.
Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy on Thursday apprised Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Guaba of damage. According to preliminary estimate, 44.80 lakh people residing in 89 blocks of the State were affected by incessant rain and strong winds.
Although roads have been immediately cleared by disaster response force personnel, the power infrastructure would take some time to return to normalcy. About 30 lakh power consumers have been affected.
The government sources said restoration of power was going on at a war-footing and supply to 80% of the areas is likely to resume by Thursday evening. The assessment of the impact of the cyclone on the agriculture sector was expected to be completed within two days.
Paddy fields inundated
Meanwhile, farmers in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts are staring at an uncertain future as hundreds of acres of paddy fields were inundated by saline water.
Farmers found their fields unfit for the coming kharif crop as about two feet of saline water was standing on the land.
In pictures: Amphan leaves West Bengal, Odisha reeling
“We have already completed tilling of the land and would have started sowing seeds in a week, just before the arrival of the monsoon. The saline ingression damaged the soil which is no longer fit for taking up paddy cultivation,” said Amulya Mandal from Chardia village under Chandbali area.
Mr. Mandal said saline water spilled over from creeks and entered the paddy land due to storm surge. “The sluice gates connecting creeks with Baitarani and Matei rivers were poorly maintained. As a result of which, saline water easily found its way to the crop land,” he said.
Similarly, 500 acres in Mahakalapada and Rajanagar tahsils were affected by saline water ingression. Hundreds of acres of Rabi crop, which was ready for harvesting, have been damaged in Balasore and Bhadrak districts.
