Bhubaneswar: Brahmapur MP Dr Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy on Friday urged the Centre and the Odisha government to announce a special financial package and expedite relief measures for people affected by flash floods triggered by Cyclone ‘Arnab’ in Ganjam, Gajapati and other parts of southern Odisha.
In separate representations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the BJP MP sought the immediate deployment of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to assess the extent of the damage caused by the floods.
Panigrahy said exceptionally heavy rainfall, with Patrapur recording 546 mm and Sorada 503 mm, had triggered flooding across the region, causing the Rushikulya and Bahuda rivers to overflow their banks. He claimed that more than 1.5 lakh people had been affected by the deluge, which he described as the worst in six decades.
He also urged the state government to constitute an Inter-Ministerial Committee to coordinate relief, rehabilitation and restoration activities in the affected areas.
Highlighting the plight of farmers, the MP called for a comprehensive assessment of crop and horticultural losses within 72 hours to facilitate compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and other direct relief mechanisms.
He further sought a liberal financial assistance package for restoring damaged roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure, including National Highway-326, besides adequate compensation and support for affected farmers.
Emphasising the need for a permanent solution to recurring floods in the region, Panigrahy proposed the formation of a high-level scientific task force involving the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
The proposed task force should examine measures such as constructing permanent stone embankments and flood-control barrages in the Rushikulya river basin to minimise the impact of future floods, he said.
Panigrahy stressed the need for coordinated intervention by the Centre and the state government to provide timely assistance to affected families and ensure the restoration of essential infrastructure across southern Odisha.
