Bhubaneswar: Damages caused by Cyclone Dana in Odisha as per preliminary assessment is approximately Rs 600 crore, informed Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Pujari said that the severe cyclone and subsequent flooding affected over 41 lakh people across 11,637 villages in 131 blocks.
“We have received reports from all 14 affected districts, with the total damage caused by Cyclone Dana estimated around Rs 600 crore. The districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara were the hardest hit, while Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack also suffered significant damage,” he stated.
The Minister said that a total of 16,417 houses were damaged, with 27 houses completely destroyed and 14,680 partially damaged.
He added that all departments, except Panchayati Raj, have submitted their preliminary damage assessment reports.
“We expect all remaining reports by this evening, after which those will be consolidated into the final figures. The process of disbursing compensation for crop and individual damages will begin in the coming days,” Pujari explained, noting that the Energy Department sustained the most significant losses.
The departments were initially directed to submit their damage assessments by November 2. A comprehensive damage report will be submitted to the Central government for financial assistance by Tuesday.