Bhubaneswar, August 3: The Odisha government has announced an initial relief package of ₹110 crore to support people affected by the ongoing floods across the state.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the government stands firmly with every flood-affected family and has directed officials to ensure that immediate financial assistance reaches those affected based on the preliminary assessment of damages.

He also assured that additional financial support would be provided after the final assessment of losses, including for damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.

After conducting an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas, the Chief Minister assigned ministers to oversee rescue, relief, and rehabilitation operations in different districts. The state government has placed flood response on the highest priority and is continuing rescue and rehabilitation efforts on a war footing across 22 districts. Earlier, an advance assistance of ₹26 crore had already been released to the worst-affected districts to strengthen ongoing rescue and relief operations.

Under the government's relief measures, all eligible beneficiaries in the flood-affected areas will receive Gratuitous Relief (GR) until normalcy is restored. Financial assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) will also be provided to families whose homes have been damaged.

Fully damaged houses will receive ₹1.20 lakh for repairs, while partially damaged pucca houses will be eligible for ₹6,500 and partially damaged kutcha houses will receive ₹4,000. Families whose huts have collapsed will be provided ₹8,000, while ₹3,000 will be given for damaged cattle sheds.

The government has also announced compensation for crop and horticultural losses suffered by small and marginal farmers. Farmers cultivating rainfed land will receive ₹8,500 per hectare, while those with irrigated land will be entitled to ₹17,000 per hectare. Compensation for perennial crops has been fixed at ₹22,500 per hectare.

In accordance with SDRF norms, the families of the six people who lost their lives in flood-related incidents will receive ex-gratia assistance of ₹24 lakh. Compensation will also be extended for livestock losses. Owners of milch animals such as cows and buffaloes will receive ₹37,500 per animal, while compensation of ₹32,000 has been announced for draught animals, including bullocks, buffaloes, and horses. Assistance of ₹20,000 will be provided for calves, donkeys, and mules, while owners of goats and sheep will receive ₹4,000 per animal.

According to the preliminary assessment, the floods have affected 22 districts, covering 85 blocks, 15 urban local bodies, 656 gram panchayats, and 1,458 villages. Nearly 863,909 people have been impacted by the floods, while 267,301 people were evacuated to safer locations as a precautionary measure. The government has established 529 relief camps and 31 animal camps to provide shelter and support to affected families and livestock.

To ensure timely assistance, the administration has distributed around 41 quintals of rice, 1,115 quintals of flattened rice (chuda), 496 quintals of jaggery, 3,869 polythene sheets, and other essential relief materials in the affected areas. Additionally, 1,816 metric tonnes of cattle feed have been supplied to support livestock owners.

Rescue and relief operations continue with the deployment of 199 teams, comprising 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, and 172 Fire Services teams. These teams are carrying out rescue, evacuation, and rehabilitation activities across the affected districts.

Preliminary estimates indicate that six people have died in flood-related incidents, 3,567 houses have been damaged, and around 33,458.30 hectares of agricultural land have been affected. Relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts remain focused on the severely affected districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur, where food, safe drinking water, healthcare, veterinary services, polythene sheets, and other essential assistance are being provided continuously.

The Odisha Government has reiterated that senior officials are monitoring the flood situation round the clock and that relief and rehabilitation operations will continue until normalcy is restored.

The Chief Minister assured that every flood-affected family would receive timely support and that further financial assistance would be provided after the final assessment of damages.