Odisha Struggles To Put Life Back On Track

Fani toll hits 34; heat adds to misery of lack of power, water

- Satyasundar Barik

Two days after the extremely severe Cyclone Fani hit coastal Odisha, the administration on Sunday struggled to cope with the herculean task of restoring power and water supplies in the worst-affected cities of Bhubaneswar and Puri.

The Special Relief Commissioner’s Office has received confirmation of 34 deaths, while unofficial estimates put the figure at above 45. Around 1.07 crore people in 14 districts have been affected by the cyclone.

Relief trucks stranded

Several trucks carrying relief material were stranded outside Puri as roads had not been cleared with an overwhelmed administration struggling to deal with the situation. Cyclone victims, lacking food and water, queued up before offices of the Collector and others desperately seeking relief.