Army launches relief work
Unconfirmed reports place toll at 3,000
TNS and agencies

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 31 — More than two days after the worst cyclone of its kind battered Orissa badly affecting about 15 million people, coastal areas remained largely cut off from the rest of the world today as the Army began preliminary relief operations in certain ravaged areas.

At least 400 fishermen were still missing, a report from Calcutta said.

The Army moved hundreds of people to safer areas at Jaleswar, which is witnessing blinding rains, Col S. Chauhan, Commander of the Gorkha Regiment, said.

He said a 5,000-strong team comprising medicos, signal communications detachments, engineers and infantry battalions from Calcutta and Ranchi was on its way to the affected areas.

Telecommunication links from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to New Delhi and other parts of the country were restored through an emergency satellite terminal. But all communication networks in the rest of the coastal region remained paralysed for the third day.

Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang said he had deputed IAS officials to affected areas to assess the extent of damage and coordinate rescue and relief work.

An Independent MLA claimed that at least 1,000 fishermen were missing in Orissa.

Downpour has magnified the problem as more and more people are deserting their houses. Inclement weather continued to hamper rescue and relief operations. "Some had to stay perched on roofs for over 24 hours and we have begun rescuing them," Col Chauhan said.

Six MI-8 and two IAF Chetak helicopters were unable to land due to incessant rains.

Terming it as the "cyclone of the century", the officials said the entire east coast had been cut off from the rest of the world and there was no electricity or drinking water.

Col Chauhan said Kendrapara seemed as the worst-affected city though the port town of Paradip was thought to have borne the brunt of the super-cyclone.

Kendrapara had experienced a wind speed of 300 km per hour whereas Bhubaneswar was lashed by 200 km per hour winds.

The officials said Jagatsinghpur was another worst-hit district whereas Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Mayurbhanj and Nayagarh were affected too.

The entire capital city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack town had been severely hit.

The cyclone was more devastating than that of the 1971 in which 10,000 persons died in Kendrapara district of the state the officials said. At least 15 million people had been affected this time.

As per the reports last received from the Army relief columns, while National Highway (NH) 42 has been opened from Sambalpur to Angul. The stretch between Chilka Lake and Bhubaneswar has also been cleared.

Out of the 18 columns deployed so far, seven have been deployed on NH 42 and six on NH 5 to provide immediate relief to the approximately 6000 marooned people at Balasore, besides clearing the highway from Balasore to Bhubaneswar, an Army press note said.

Two columns have been deployed between Chilka Lake and Bhubaneswar and one has been deployed at Dhamra. Two columns are in the process of moving towards Balasore.

The third INMARSAT terminal is being flown to Bhubaneswar today.

General Officer Commanding 23 Infantry Division from Ranchi has been nominated as the overall in charge for the relief and rescue operations.

Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang took off at 1000 hours towards Paradip, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak. He carried food packets for the starving people.

Mr Gamang deputed two ministers each for an affected district for supervising relief and rehabilitation measures.

The Railways began a special passenger train from New Delhi to Bhubaneswar today to clear stranded passengers.

The train leaves the New Delhi railway station at 2200 hour via Katni, Bilaspur and Sambalpur, an official press note said.

Tracks between Khurda Road and Bhubaneswar and Khurda and Berhampur were restored and accident relief trains were being rushed to establish communication links between Palasa and Bhadrak.

The government today restored telecommunication links from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack with the Capital and other parts of the country through an emergency satellite terminal.

An official spokesman of the Communications Ministry said the department restored telephone links of the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack with New Delhi and other regions by activating an emergency satellite terminal at Bhubaneswar early this morning.

The satellite station located at Gangapatnam, between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, had been further augmented to maintain communication links with all parts of the country.

As part of the emergency service, six satellite phone equipment in Delhi and one in Calcutta had been readied to be flown to Orissa as soon as air services were resumed to the state capital.

Meanwhile, the telecom department has despatched a high-level team to attend to repair works on the network that was thrown out of gear by the devastating gale on Friday.

Members of Parliament from Orissa, cutting across party lines today held an emergency meeting in New Delhi to discuss the situation arising out of the havoc caused by the cyclone and measures to carry out relief and rehabilitation programmes.

The meeting, which was held at the residence of Mines and Minerals Minister Naveen Patnaik, discussed the gravity of the situation.

Mr Patnaik said the government would do everything possible to provide relief to the affected people and appealed to NGOs like Oxfam to carry out relief measures. For the first time since the seventies, India would be seeking international assistance to tide over natural calamities.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has announced an assistance of Rs 30 lakh for the cyclone victims in Orissa.

Minister of State for Surface Transport Devendra Pradhan said all ships inside the Paradip port harbour were safe.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Prof Rajendra Singh today appealed to his cadres to treat the cyclone as a national tragedy and come forward with all possible help.

In a statement, the RSS chief said it would not be possible for the government alone to provide all help and assistance to the affected people. The whole nation had to come forward for help.