Bhubaneswar: In a swift response to the flood situation in northern Odisha, the state government has announced that financial aid from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) will be released within 24 hours of receiving damage assessment reports from district authorities.
This was informed by the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, on Monday.
Minister Pujari stated that the government has directed all district collectors and departmental secretaries to expedite their reports to enable immediate disbursement of funds to affected families.
“Once the report is submitted, we are setting a 24-hour window to release funds from the SDRF to ensure prompt relief,” he told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
The minister confirmed that the flood impact in Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts was relatively low.
“Residents from low-lying areas were moved to shelters and provided with essential supplies. The situation in both districts is now stable and no longer under threat,” he said.
In contrast, Balasore has been identified as the worst-affected district. Heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh had raised water levels, but the minister noted that rain has now subsided in those regions.
“Yesterday around 9 pm, the water level in Balasore began to rise, but with rain stopping upstream, we expect conditions to improve,” Minster said
He added that the flood situation in Bhadrak and Jajpur has also been brought under control. Relief centres are operational, supplying food and essentials to displaced families. Special measures are being taken to prevent post-flood health hazards, including the disinfection of water bodies and drinking water supply systems.
“To prevent snakebite incidents, anti-venom injections have been stocked every 10 km in the affected areas,” Pujari said.
The government has reiterated its commitment to timely intervention, emphasising transparency and accountability in the use of disaster relief funds.
