PM Modi urged to assist Odisha construct strong coastal infrastructure to safeguard towards cyclones

By Express News Service
BHUBANESWAR: Prone to tropical cyclones and within the eye of a storm extra typically than different states on the east coast, the Odisha authorities on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help the state in constructing a sturdy catastrophe resilient energy construction and storm surge safety.

Briefing mediapersons after a overview assembly by the Prime Minister on the Biju Patnaik International Airport right here, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena mentioned the state authorities made a robust plea for central assist in two areas.

“It has been a demand since long to build a calamity-proof power network in the coastal districts which are prone to summer cyclones. The second demand was for building storm surge barriers to stop ingress of sea waters,” Jena mentioned. Since constructing cyclone resilient coastal infrastructure with fashionable design and know-how wants big funding, the state authorities supplied to share the fee.

The Prime Minister was instructed that the prevailing 1,600 km lengthy saline embankment on the Odisha coast is just not sufficient to guard life and livelihoods within the coastal areas from excessive tides throughout extreme cyclones. There are many susceptible factors of round 400-450 km within the saline embankments for which the state authorities has to spend big quantities yearly.

The state badly wanted assist of the central authorities for constructing storm surge boundaries because of the complexity of the engineering and the numerous prices of development, the PM was instructed.

The SRC mentioned that the state authorities has not made any financial demand to the Prime Minister for restoration and rehabilitation works. An in depth evaluation of the harm occurred because of the cyclone Yaas shall be made and the state authorities is more likely to submit a report back to the Centre after per week.

On his arrival on the metropolis airport, the Prime Minister took a overview of the state of affairs within the cyclone affected districts. Apart from displaying a video clip of the cyclone that made landfall on Thursday in Balasore district and the path of destruction it left, the state authorities made a presentation on its preparedness and the rescue, reduction and restoration works.

Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, two Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi and senior officers of the state authorities participated within the overview assembly.

After the overview assembly, the Prime Minister took an aerial survey of the cyclone affected northen Odisha districts.