Bhubaneswar: Cyclonic storm ‘DAYE’ hit the Odisha coast near Gopalpur early on Friday causing heavy rain and Malkangiri district, which bore the brunt, was virtually cut off from the rest of the state.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said no loss of life has been reported till 12 noon.
The SRC said, Malkangiri district was severely affected by the cyclonic storm and some people were left marooned in submerged areas, including Poteru.
Around 150 people have so far been rescued from some places in the district, the SRC said. Immediate steps have been taken for distribution of relief materials in the affected areas and damage caused by the natural calamity was being ascertained, he added.
Rain water was flowing over major roads, submerging low-lying areas in the district that experienced a total rainfall of 1163.8 mm since Thursday, Malkangiri Collector Manish Agarwal said.
After reviewing the situation, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the Malkangiri district administration to reach out to the affected people and extend all assistance to them, an official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
Patnaik also sanctioned gratuitous relief for seven days at Rs 60 per day per person and Rs 45 each for children below 12 years in the district, he said. (PTI)