Chhatrapur: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das has demanded that the flood situation in Ganjam district following Cyclone ‘Arnab’ be declared a national disaster, alleging that the district has suffered losses exceeding ₹5,000 crore due to floods and landslides.
He also sought adequate financial assistance for affected families, special compensation for farmers and traders, and a minimum compensation of ₹20 lakh for families who lost their members in flood- and landslide-related incidents.
Das made the demands after visiting several flood- and landslide-hit areas of Ganjam district along with a special Congress fact-finding team. The team visited Aska, Bhanjanagar, Sorada, Purushottampur, Sheragada, Chhatrapur and Ganjam blocks to assess the extent of damage and interact with affected people.
Later, Das met the District Collector at Chhatrapur and discussed the damage caused by the floods, the problems faced by affected families and the arrangements made for relief and rehabilitation.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Das described the state government’s relief and assistance measures as inadequate in view of the scale of destruction. He estimated that losses to houses, commercial establishments, properties and agricultural crops across the district had exceeded ₹5,000 crore.
Traders in Aska market alone had suffered losses of more than ₹1,000 crore, he claimed, adding that the proposed ₹252 crore assistance sought by the state government from the Centre was grossly inadequate compared to the estimated damage.
Das said breaches in the embankments of the Rushikulya river and its tributaries had resulted in floodwaters rising to heights of 5 to 15 feet in several areas, destroying large stretches of agricultural land and causing severe financial losses to farmers.
He also alleged that the distribution of cooked food at relief camps had been discontinued and that several camps lacked basic facilities, including toilets.
The Congress leader demanded adequate rehabilitation of affected families, restoration of basic facilities at relief camps and special compensation for farmers who had lost their crops. He also called for immediate financial assistance and proper rehabilitation arrangements for families affected by the floods and landslides.
