Odisha announces relief package as Cyclone Arnab death toll rises to six
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced assistance for families and farmers as the state prepares for Cyclone Murasu.
The death toll from Cyclone Arnab in Odisha rose to six on Sunday, according to the Deccan Herald, while 10 people remain missing. Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said the cyclone and subsequent floods have impacted 1.18 lakh people, damaged 1,672 houses, and affected 75,388 hectares of crop area.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced a special assistance package for affected families, including 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,500 in cash. He also stated that the package would be reviewed after assessing damage from the approaching Cyclone Murasu.
For farmers with crop losses of 33 per cent or more, the Chief Minister announced agricultural input subsidies of Rs 8,500 per hectare for unirrigated land and Rs 17,000 per hectare for irrigated land. Perennial crops will receive Rs 22,500 per hectare, with a minimum assistance of Rs 2,500.
Housing assistance includes Rs 1.20 lakh for fully damaged houses in the plains and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly areas. The state will also provide Rs 18,000 to affected farmers to remove sand and silt from fields.
The state is currently bracing for Cyclone Murasu, which the India Meteorological Department expects to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between November 2 and 3. Manorama Mohanty, director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, said Odisha will receive rainfall from November 2, with intensity increasing on November 3.