The Odisha government has released ₹110 crore in financial assistance to 22 flood-affected districts while accelerating efforts to improve disaster management and weather forecasting across the state.
During a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari directed officials to complete post-flood damage assessments within 72 hours after floodwaters recede. He also stressed the need to speed up the construction of multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters.
Among the major allocations, Balasore received ₹22.03 crore, Jajpur ₹20.20 crore, Bhadrak ₹20.12 crore and Jagatsinghpur ₹8.18 crore. The minister noted that Odisha recorded 65% more rainfall in July than the same month last year, with some regions receiving up to 97% above-normal rainfall.
To strengthen disaster preparedness, the state is upgrading 122 Early Warning Towers along its coastline with advanced surveillance systems and improving communication networks across all 314 blocks. It is anticipated that improvements at Gopalpur and Paradip, as well as new Doppler weather radars at Balasore, Bhubaneswar, and Puri, will increase forecasting accuracy. The government is also focusing on better reservoir management, flood mitigation and lightning safety measures.