Total damage due to Cyclone Dana pegged at Rs 616.19 crore: Odisha minister

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday said that the total damage caused in the state due to severe cyclone Dana was pegged at Rs 616.19 crore. Cyclone Dana struck the eastern coast early on October 25, triggering torrential rain and high-speed winds uprooting trees and electric poles and causing significant damage to infrastructure and crops in 14 districts of Odisha.

Speaking to reporters here, Pujari said it was estimated that the state suffered a loss to the tune of Rs 616.19 crore due to the cyclone.

Public infrastructures worth Rs 512.26 crore were damaged in the natural calamity, he said.

Similarly, the value of total crops and houses damaged in the cyclone was estimated at Rs 82.92 crore and Rs 21.32 crore, respectively, he said.

After getting approval from the chief minister, relief will be provided to the affected people in the next two or three days, Pujari said.

Besides, the fund utilised by the district collectors to meet emergency expenses to tackle the cyclone will also be reimbursed to the districts in two days, he added.

A total of 131 blocks in 14 districts have been either partially or fully affected by the cyclone and subsequent heavy rainfall.

The districts are Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Khurda, and Puri.