Fani restoration works needs Rs 29,315 crore: Report

BHUBANESWAR: Restoration after the damage caused by cyclone FANI in Odisha needs Rs 29,315 crore, said the Damage, Loss and Needs Assessment (DLNA) report released by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the state secretariat here on Tuesday.

The infrastructure sectors were the hardest hit and constitute about 42 per cent of the total needs and the social sectors which include housing, constitute 36 per cent of the total needs.

The report estimates the total damage and loss in the cyclone to be Rs 24,176 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Patnaik said, “The damage assessment report would provide a way forward to recovery of the state from the cyclone as well as develop a better preparedness strategy for the future. We invite the international agencies, national NGOs, the private sector and the civil society to come forward and join in the recovery and reconstruction efforts to rebuild Odisha.”

FANI, which hit the coast of Odisha on May 3, this year, was one of the rarest of rare summer cyclones. It caused extensive damage and impacted life and property of more than 1.65 crore people in 14 districts of Odisha. According to official sources, 64 persons died in the cyclone. Most of the casualties were reported from Puri district.