Cyclone Titli: Death toll rises to 57, at least 10 still missing in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The death toll in Odisha due to Cyclone Titli and subsequent floods have reached 57 due to landslides, wall-collapse incidents, and drowning, the Special Relief Commission (SRC) said on Thursday.

The Commission further said that at least 10 people are still missing in the wake of the natural calamity that hit the state.

Apart from fatalities, 2,73,425 hectares of crops have been damaged across 17 districts of the state. Furthermore, 60,11,000 people in 8125 villages have been affected and 57,131 houses have been damaged.

The SRC said, "The Government has announced for providing gratuitous relief for fifteen days at the rate of Rs. 60 per adult and Rs 45 per child per day to all affected families of Ganjam, Gajapati and Gunupur Sub- Division of Rayagada district. Accordingly, an amount of Rs. 1.02 bn have has been released in favour of the Collectors concerned for payment as advance towards GR (Gajapati- 110 million, Ganjam- 896 million, Rayagada-140 million)."

It added that adequate drinking water, health, and veterinary measures are being provided in the affected areas of Odisha.

On October 17, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had increased ex-gratia for the kin of the deceased from Rs 400,000 to Rs 10,00,000 each.

In the wake of the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Titli in the state, Patnaik, on October 18, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to release an interim assistance of Rs 10 bn for relief and restoration work.

The Chief Minister, in the letter, stated that the storm and subsequent floods have caused damage and destruction in 17 districts of Odisha, of which Gajapati district is the worst affected.