The district administration is making efforts to restore normalcy in Bahanaga block of Baleswar district after the area witnessed devastation following gale and thunderstorm on Thursday evening.
As per official reports, more than 6,500 people of 11 villages in six GPs are affected and 1,324 houses damaged and 17cattle, 38 goats and about 15,000 poultry birds killed. Several trees and electric poles were uprooted. Power supply is yet to be restored.
The distressed people have been lodged in five temporary shelters at different locations and are given cooked and dry foods. Several NGOs and other organisations have rushed to the villages to extend help in forms of donation of polythene sheets, dry foods, utensils and garments.
BTCC (a transport company), Balasore Alloys and the Samaja relief body are among the prominent organisations helping the homeless. Apart from local tehsildar Manorama Bhuyan and Sub-Collector Paresh Marandi and Nilgiri Sub-Collector Manoj Mohanty, district Collector Ranjit Mohanty is also camping in the block to monitor the rescue and relief works.