Cyclone Titli toll mounts to three in Odisha
Bhubaneswar/Berhampur, Oct 12: The toll in Cyclone Titli in Odisha rose to three Friday after two bodies were recovered in Ganjam district, near where it made its landfall, as the state government deployed NDRF and ODRAF personnel to speed up rescue and relief operations.
One of the two bodies was that of a 40-year-old fisherman from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, said police, which found it.
The fisherman was reportedly missing since Wednesday from Ramayapatnam under Golanthara police station limits and his body was found near the jetty of Gopalpur port. His identity is being ascertained, said the inspector in-charge of marine police station, Arjeepalli Bideshi Behera.
The other body found is that of a 45-year-old man of Bhuta Pankal village under Sorada block in Ganjam district who had been missing since the very severe cyclone struck the state Thursday, police said.
The body was found 200 feet downstream of the village, inspector in-charge of Sorada police station Prabhat Sahoo said.
Five persons from the village were missing since they crossed Kandangi nullha while returning to their homes from a cyclone shelter on Thursday. Search is on to locate the four others, he said.
On Thursday, the body of an eight-year old boy, who had slipped into a canal at Saradhapur village under Hinjili police station, was found by locals, police said.
In Andhra Pradesh, eight lives have been snuffed out by the twister on Thursday.
The Odisha government is, however, yet to confirm the deaths.
"We have seen media reports of the deaths of two or three persons in districts. We are verifying it," Chief Secretary A P Padhi said to questions by scribes on the human casualty due to Cyclone Titli.
It deployed NDRF and ODRAF personnel Friday to speed up rescue and relief operation mainly in the southern districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada where more than 60 lakh people were affected by flood due to heavy rainfall triggered by the cyclone.
The flood situation in three districts is grim as the water levels in major rivers like Rushikulya and Bansadhara have crossed their danger marks, official sources said.
The three districts received highest rainfall for three days under the impact of Cyclone Titli.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said people in Balasore district were also affected by the flood.
The decision to step up relief and rescue operation was taken at a high-level meeting where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took stock of the situation.
In a video conference with the district collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada, Patnaik gave instructions for intensifying rescue and relief operation on a war footing as people faced the twin calamities of cyclone and floods.
Patnaik stressed on quick repair of breaches in several river embankments and directed district collectors to provide cooked food to the evacuated people, Sethi said.
He constituted a three-member ministerial committee to visit the three worst-affected districts to monitor rescue and relief operation.
Two helicopters were requisitioned from the Indian Navy mainly for rescue and air dropping of relief materials in villages in Ganjam district as the areas are cut off from rest of the state due to the submergence of roads with rain and flood waters, Padhi said.
In Ganjam, 13 of its 22 blocks were badly hit in the cyclone and floods.
Blocks like Aska, Purusottampur and Sanakhemundi were inundated by rainwater as well as water from Rushikulya river which gushed into the villages, a senior official said.
The Ganjam district administration has undertaken evacuation of people living near the riverside and low-lying areas, he said adding that they have been housed in the multi-purpose shelters besides schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres.
The low-lying areas in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and the pilgrim town of Puri were also waterlogged due to the rain.
"A large number of pumps have been pressed into service by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Cuttack Municipal Corporation to clear water," a civic body official said.
Connectivity in Lathipada-Shergad road in Ganjam was disrupted while a bridge on Badagada Jarau river was washed away in the heavy rainfall, official sources said.
The swelling Mahendratanaya river submerged vast stretches of Gajapati district cutting off road communication between Andhra Pradesh and Paralakhemundi in Odisha's Gajapati district, sources said.
Train services were affected by the cyclone and floods and at least 16 trains were cancelled and several others rescheduled by East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Friday due to submergence of railway tracks.
Water level on railway tracks in Berhampur-Palasa section is yet to recede due to continuous rains, an ECoR official said.
The water level also touched the danger mark at a bridge between Ichapuram and Jhadpudi stations in Berhampur-Palasa railway section, he said.
Director of Bhubaneswar meteorological centre, H R Biswas said heavy to very heavy rainfall will continue to pound parts of the state, including Balasore, Bhadrak and Dhenkanal districts, till Saturday.
Around three lakh people were evacuated from the vulnerable areas of five coastal districts of the state Wednesday, a day before the cyclone made a landfall.
The cyclone has "weakened into a deep depression" and triggered incessant rainfall in the state, SRC Sethi said.
The severe cyclonic storm packing winds of up to 150 kmph and widespread rains had hit eastern India coast Thursday, killing eight people in Andhra Pradesh and one in Odisha.
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Minister Muniyappa asks hotels to wait for a week to overcome LPG crunch
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa on Wednesday said the state is facing an acute shortage of LPG cylinders for commercial use, with limited supplies forcing the government to prioritise essential sectors while asking hotels and eateries to temporarily switch to alternative arrangements.
He said the crisis has arisen due to supply constraints at the national level, with shipments stuck overseas, and that the state is making efforts to manage distribution until the situation normalises.
“We have very limited supply for restaurants, dhabas, hotels and industries, only about 1,000 cylinders. It has become very difficult to decide who should get how much from these 1,000 cylinders,” Muniyappa said in the Karnataka Legislative Council.
Citing the reason behind the shortage, he said, “The Central government is making efforts and is in constant touch with Iran. Around 16 ships are in queue and are not being released. If they are released, the situation will ease and return to normal.”
The minister said the government has urged commercial establishments to adjust operations.
“I have called a meeting of hotel owners and told them that for a week they must adjust, even if it means using electricity. This is a difficult situation, a war-like scenario, and the hoteliers should manage by using electricity for the time being,” he said.
Muniyappa said the state plans to streamline supplies by pooling available stock over a week.
“We will consolidate these 1,000 cylinders over a week and increase them to around 10,000 to 15,000 cylinders. I will call the association and discuss how to distribute them,” he said, adding that further consultations will be held next week.
Emphasising that domestic consumers remain the top priority, he said household supply will not be disrupted under any circumstances. “Priority is for domestic use. Household supply cannot be stopped at any cost. Every day, about 3,52,921 cylinders are being consumed,” he said, noting that oil marketing companies are continuing daily distribution.
The minister said the main challenge lies in commercial allocation, which has been capped by the Centre.
“The central government has allowed only 20 per cent allocation. The daily requirement for commercial cylinders is 44,000. Arrangements have been made to supply about 9,000 cylinders,” he said.
He detailed the prioritisation plan evolved in consultation with oil companies.
“We are providing 4,200 cylinders to educational institutions, student hostels, hospitals and other essential institutions,” he said.
In addition, about 1,200 cylinders are being supplied to government-run facilities and key public service points.
“For government PHU institutions, canteens located at airports, railway stations and bus stations, as well as Indira canteens, we are supplying about 1,200 cylinders as per their full requirement."
According to Muniyappa, certain sectors critical to the economy are also being supported.
“For seed processing, food processing, agriculture and allied sectors, pharmaceutical industry, fisheries, zoological parks, sports and sports hostels. Around 500 cylinders are being provided,” he said.
Responding to concerns raised by legislators, he said temporary relief measures have been extended during the ongoing Assembly session.
“As long as the Assembly session continues, we will provide about 50 per cent of their requirement. We cannot provide more than that, but considering the urgency, this arrangement has been made,” he added.
