Bhubaneswar, October 30: The Odisha government on Friday deployed as many as 20 Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers to Ganjam district to strengthen ongoing flood relief, rescue and restoration operations following the devastation caused by Cyclone Arnab-induced floods in the district.

An order to this effect was issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department. These officers have been drawn from various districts and government departments, including Kendujhar, Boudh, Baripada, Bhubaneswar, Koraput, Angul, Cuttack, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal and other locations.

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The 20 officers are Joda Tahasildar Denish Behera (Mob: 7978761781), Boudh Tahasildar Anita Kumari Sahoo (8895734954), Baripada Tahasildar Sapan Kumar Sahu (9853207679), Bhawanipatna Tahasildar Kshirod Bihari Bharat Nag (8763421410), Kataka Municipal Corporation Deputy Commissioner Jubuli Charan Behera (9555387757), Similiguda BDO Jashmin Kumar Pradhan (9439016595). Talachera BDO Sushant Kumar Baral (7982211328), Badamba BDO Chitaranjan Das (9439488479) Narayapatana BDO Bikram Kumar Dora (9437806191), Padmapur BDO Kuresh Chandra Jani (8280068876), senior OAS officer Ayushi Pati (9178024560), Padia BDO Aswini Kumar Mahapatra (7077444976), Baliguda BDO Akhaya Kumar Mallick (9348385628), Kashinagar BDO Sudhir Kumar Nanda (9559278784), Phulbani BDO Priyanka Priyadarshini (7978638489), Balipatana Tahasildar Kalpana Das (7978363034), Basudevpur BDO Tanmita Kar (9437712359), Balikuda Tahasildar Bikash Ranjan (9337328148), Anugola Deputy Collector Subhendu Kumar Jena (7205507875) and Bhubaneswar Additional Tahasildar Subhaprkash Kanungo (9074779982).

They have been asked to report to the Ganjam Collector with immediate effect. They will coordinate and supervise relief and restoration activities in the district caused due to cyclone Arnab which induced pelting rains and triggered flashfloods.

Ganjam was badly hit by the floods as towns and villages in Sorada, Purushottampur, Patrapur, Kabisuryanagar and Sanakhemundi faced the fury of a frothing Rushikulya. Sorada and Asika were among the worst-affected areas of Ganjam district, with the Rushikulya river inundated nearby towns and villages. The heavy rainfall triggered landslides too.