Epidemic threat in Orissa
Army to escort relief convoys

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 2 (UNI, PTI) — More than 10,000 persons are feared to have perished in the super cyclone that battered Orissa, even as threat of an epidemic haunts the state in the aftermath of the catastrophe.

"At least 5000 persons have died in Paradip alone and the figure is definitely going to be more than double if you take into account the devastation in other worst-affected areas,’’ Biju Janata Dal leader (BJD) Bijay Mahapatra said after a tour of Paradip and Kendrapara.

Mr Mahapatra told reporters here that hundreds of bloated bodies were seen floating in those areas and at some places dumpers were used to fish them out.

"An epidemic has already started in Choudwar and few other areas of Cuttack district where doctors and medicines have been rushed,’’ Cuttack Collector Pradeep Jena said.

Patients have also started fleeing the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack following shortage of drinking water and food.

The state administration had hardly covered 20 per cent of the total affected areas and has miserably failed in providing succour to the affected people, who in places, resorted to looting of food and relief material in desperation.

Earlier demanding deployment of more Army and para-military personnel in the state, Tribal Affairs Minister Juel Oram, who reviewed the situation in Cuttack, criticised the state government for failing to coordinate rescue, relief and restoration work properly.

"Chaos is prevailing in the entire area owing to lack of coordination among different state departments,’’ Mr Oram said.

District Collector Pradeep Jena told reporters in Cuttack that troops had to be deployed on the National Highway Number 5 to prevent looting of food and other relief material.

‘’Starving people led by anti-socials have ransacked the Cuttack Malgodown, the state’s wholesale market and looted many shops. We have posted CRPF jawans there,’’ he said.

Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang urged the people not to panic and called upon political parties to deploy their cadres to prevent looting of relief trucks.

Though air force helicopters were extensively used to air drop food packets in inaccessible areas during the day, relief and rescue operations in four affected districts was severely hampered by flash floods.

Ten IAF helicopters had been pressed into service at Bhubaneswar to air drop food packets in the affected areas, a senior government official said.

Eyewitnesses say many villages are still surrounded by at least five feet deep water hindering relief work. Relief personnel are finding it difficult to drop the foodpackets, as there are very few places that are dry.

The personnel sent by the Andhra Pradesh Government to help restore road communication have cleared upto 20 km towards Jagatsinghpur. Work on the Kendrapara-Rajnagar and Cuttack-Salepur roads were on and most of the roads leading to the district headquarters are expected to be opened up by tomorrow evening.

Complete restoration of telecommunication, power and water supply in the urban areas would take another three days, and normalisation of road communication to the rural areas would take even longer, depending on the speed at which the water recedes, officials said.

Troops had to be deployed on the National Highway Number 5 to prevent looting of food and other relief material.

‘’Starving people led by anti-socials have ransacked the Cuttack Malgodown, the state’s wholesale market and looted many shops. We have posted CRPF jawans there,’’ he said.

Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang urged the people not to panic and called upon political parties to deploy their cadres to prevent looting of relief trucks.

Though air force helicopters were extensively used to air drop food packets in inaccessible areas during the day, relief and rescue operations in four affected districts was severely hampered by flash floods.

Ten IAF helicopters had been pressed into service at Bhubaneswar to air drop food packets in the affected areas, a senior government official said.

Eyewitnesses say many villages are still surrounded by at least five feet deep water hindering relief work. Relief personnel are finding it difficult to drop the foodpackets, as there are very few places that are dry.

The personnel sent by the Andhra Pradesh Government to help restore road communication have cleared upto 20 km towards Jagatsinghpur. Work on the Kendrapara-Rajnagar and Cuttack-Salepur roads were on and most of the roads leading to the district headquarters are expected to be opened up by tomorrow evening.

Complete restoration of telecommunication, power and water supply in the urban areas would take another three days, and normalisation of road communication to the rural areas would take even longer, depending on the speed at which the water recedes, officials said.

A report from Cuttack said at least 300 persons were killed in the district and property worth Rs 1000 crore was damaged in the super cyclone.

All educational institutions in the affected districts have been closed for at least one week on the instruction of the state government. Most of the educational buildings are sheltering thousands of evacuees.

The state capital is yet to return to normal with most of the areas still without electricity and water.

Sources said standing crops in all the nine coastal districts have been totally damaged.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is likely to make an on-the-spot assessment on November 5 of the devastation caused by the severe cyclone in Orissa.

A central team headed by Mr R.C.A. Jain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, will leave tomorrow to make an assessment and give a report to the Prime Minister, a government spokesperson said. The team consists of several senior officials from Power, Defence, Home, Railways, Communication, Surface Transport and Health Departments.

An additional Director-level officer and another senior officer of the Central Reserve Police has been designated to coordinate the relief and rescue operations from Delhi concerning the central paramilitary forces.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, who is personally monitoring the Orissa developments held informal meeting with his senior Cabinet colleagues and senior officials to take stock of the situation. A team headed by Home Minister L.K. Advani and Defence Minister George Fernandes and ministers from Orissa have already conducted aerial survey.

The government has also exempted through a special order all donations for relief and rehabilitation of cyclone victims from excise duties. This would cover packaged food, medicines, sugar and other materials including construction materials.

The Centre has already given assistance to the tune of Rs 550 crore to Orissa for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people.

CALCUTTA: Indian Airlines and Alliance Air have arranged for additional flights to cyclone-ravaged Bhubaneswar for the benefit of passengers stranded in the temple city since Friday's super cyclonic storm.

Alliance Air has arranged two flights which have been booked to capacity.

Flight services to Bhubaneswar resumed on Monday after the Air Traffic Control Tower at Bhubaneswar was made operational by the Airport Authority of India's national airport division.