Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to prepare a comprehensive master plan to mitigate the risk of landslides and prevent loss of human lives, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari announced on Saturday.
The initiative will focus on mapping and identifying landslide-prone zones across the state’s hilly regions. Meanwhile, relief efforts for families affected by recent landslides have already begun. “District Collectors have been asked to submit damage assessment reports, and compensation will be disbursed to the affected families by tomorrow,” Pujari said.
Alongside landslide preparedness, the government is also prioritizing infrastructure resilience. Instructions have been issued to identify low-lying roads prone to waterlogging and ensure measures for uninterrupted connectivity. The Malkangiri District Collector has been specifically tasked with raising and repairing vulnerable stretches.
Recent torrential rains triggered by a low-pressure system caused significant damage in Gajapati, Rayagada, and Kalahandi districts. While residents in Rayagada were evacuated, nine villages in Kalahandi remained marooned, with Gajapati suffering the worst impact. Mines Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena personally monitored relief and rescue operations for two days in the affected areas.
Pujari assured that the situation has since come under control, even as long-term measures are being planned to safeguard vulnerable regions of the state.
