Thursday, October 31, 2013
Phailin changes face of ‘green’ Tara Tarini hill: The Hindu
Nature’s
fury in the form of the Phailin cyclone has devastated everything at the Tara
Tarini hill shrine except the main temple on the hill top. The 965 feet high
hill, which was proud of its lush green vegetation cover, has become totally
naked with the brown rocky base showing up. Most of the large trees on this
hill have got uprooted or massively damaged by the cyclonic storm. According to
secretary of the Tara Tarini Development Board (TTDB) Pramod Panda, they
included several decade old banyan and peepul trees. “Due to its lush green
nature, this hill was being called Purnagiri or Kumari parvat. But the cyclone
seems to have snatched away that identity from the hill,” he said. A cashew
plantation of the hill shrine at Sholaghara near the hill has also been
completely devastated. According to the priests and authorities of the TTDB,
this hill shrine had not faced such devastation during the two cyclones that
hit Ganjam district in 1999.
Major
attraction
A
major attraction of this hill shrine was the rope way to the hill top. It is an
irony that it was to be restarted recently after renovation. But the cyclone
has caused much damage to the ropeway which would surely delay its inception. Although the towers and cables of the ropeway
are in place, they have to be checked up to ascertain whether they are strong
enough after the cyclone. The carriages of the ropeway have been damaged. All
buildings at the hill top and most buildings at the foot of the hill were
damaged by the cyclone. No structure has remained at the hill top except the
newly-constructed temple which was completed in 2010.
This
temple had been built as per traditional Rekha style of Odia temple
architecture. It again proved that Rekha style of temple architecture as per
which famous Jagannath temple of Puri and Lingaraj temple of Bhubaneswar have
been built can with stand major cyclones. The stairway and the road to the hill
top have been cleared up but drinking water supply and power connectivity to
the hill top remains snapped. For providing drinking water to devotees, water
is being taken by tanker to the hill top. Nature’s fury also had its impact on
the flow of devotees to the hill shrine.
Revenue
Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, Bikash Mohapatra, who also
happens to be president of the TTDB, said all the developmental projects
proposed for this hill shrine were also stalled due to the devastation caused
by the cyclone. The TTDB had planned to move around a ‘rath’ in Ganjam district
to collect donations for the development of the hill shrine, which cannot be
taken up now as the whole district is devastated by the cyclone and the rains
and flood that followed. “We are now planning to start online donation facility
for the restoration and reconstruction works at the hill shrine so that
devotees living outside could come over to help in rebuilding the hill shrine
to its past glory.
Priority
“Our
first priority now would be to regenerate the devastated vegetation of the hill
shrine in consultation with the forest department,” said the RDC. The aim would
be to plant those species of trees on the hill which would sustain cyclonic
storms in future and would not get uprooted. But it is for sure for next few
years the hill shrine would continue to have a barren look as a memory of wrath
of nature which did not spare the hill which was a major centre of faith.
Source: The Hindu
MAYFAIR Palm Beach Resort Gopalpur on Sea – Restored and Ready to Welcome Guests after Cyclone “Phailin”
Cyclone ‘Phailin’ left a major impact in Gopalpur in Ganjam District of Odisha as it was closest to the point of landfall. During the landfall and cyclone, entire beach town was closed; while bookings were cancelled to avoid any major problem with guests. During the Phailin Cyclone in Gopalpur, MAYFAIR Palm Beach Resort was closed for a week. Now, the 5-star deluxe resort has been restored and ready to welcome guests again.
Guest operations have been started again from 20th of October at MAYFAIR Palm Beach Gopalpur on Sea. Now, you can explore the real sea world at two hrs picturesque drive from Bhubaneswar. It was closed for around one week after a day before cyclone Phailin hit Odisha coastline. Phailin cyclone in Gopalpur – Ganjam district of Odisha, hit land with the winds that picked the speed up from 100 km/h to 200 km/h and more within half an hour in the mid of October 2013.
Gopalpur observed damage triggered by high-speed winds with fallen trees, uprooted poles and broken walls. Cyclone Phailin was officially the strongest storm ever measured in the Bay of Bengal. Heavy rain and wind stirred up a cloudburst drag of over three meters and swamping areas up to half km inside. In this fashion, Gopalpur became the location of the Cyclone’s landfall in October 2013. Cyclone Phailin in Gopalpur kept its stormy date with the Odisha coast, striking just off Gopalpur.
MAYFAIR Palm Beach Resorts had to stop its operations for some days and restored & opened for guests again on 20 October. However, the hotel also witnessed some damages, but recovered immediately. Book rooms in the heritage property or get an attractive package to explore the real sea world. As the major festivals are round the corner and bringing joy and happiness to one and all, MAYFAIR also ready to share the same with you. A warm welcome awaits you and your family in MAYFAIR Palm Beach Resort Gopalpur on Sea and other resorts in different cities of Odisha where various fun and events have been planned to make your stay exciting and a memorable.
Source: Mayfair
BJP President Rajnath Singh to visit cyclone-hit Gopalpur on November 1
National
BJP president Rajnath Singh will visit the cyclone and flood- affected
districts of Odisha on November 1. The State BJP said that Rajnath will make an
aerial survey of affected areas and meet people of Ganjam and Balasore
districts. Slamming the State Government
for its failure to reach the affected even after two weeks of the natural
calamities, BJP said a large number of marooned people of Balasore, Bhadrak,
Mayurbhanj and Jajpur districts are deprived of food and water. The Government
has no stock of food materials in the affected areas, it alleged. Source: New Indian Express
Calamities hit 25.5 lakh people in Ganjam
The
cyclone and flood affected as many as 25.5 lakh people in Ganjam district - 3.5
lakh during Phailin and 22 lakh in the flood. According to reports of the
district administration, the cyclone claimed 13 lives while four died in the
flood taking the total death toll to 17. Around 1,64,629 houses and 65,371
cowsheds were damaged in cyclone. Similarly, 1,79,205 houses and 32,550
cowsheds were damaged in the flood. This
apart, crops in 2,93,900 hectares (ha) were destroyed by Phailin while floods
washed away crops in 51,566 ha. The district administration has estimated the
total crop loss at 3,45,466 ha. Fisheries sector also sustained heavy loss as
many fishermen were affected and their boats and fishing nets damaged.
“If
everything goes fine, power restoration in Ganjam would be completed by
Friday,” said SOUTHCO Managing Director PK Choudhary. He said of around 5.42 lakh consumers in the
district, power has been restored to around 2.10 lakh households so far. “As
restoration works is on power will be restored by Friday,” he said. Southco
Superintendent Engineer Lenka Prasad said of around 83,000 consumer households
in Berhampur city, power was restored to 78,000 households by Wednesday.
“Frequent power cuts problem will be gradually solved,” he added.
Source:
New Indian Express
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Central team arrives in Berhampur to assess loss
A
high-level inter-ministerial Central team reached Ganjam district on Monday
afternoon on a visit to assess the losses caused by the Phailin cyclone and the
floods caused by incessant rains after that. This seven-member team landed at
the Rangeilunda airstrip near Berhampur University campus by a helicopter.
According to official sources, this team is headed by Joint Secretary of
Central Home Department Rashmi Goel. Its members include delegate from Central
agriculture and cooperative department Sanjay Lohia, A. Chandrasekhar from
Central Planning Commission, D.Rajsekhar Reddy of Drinking Water and Sanitation
department, A.K.Rajput of Central Electricity department, director of Central
Rural Development Department K.K.Janpath, R.P.Panda from National Highway
Authority, Chand Choudhury from Central Forest and Environment Ministry and
Dinanath of Central finance department. The team visited cyclone-ravaged
Berhampur University campus, areas of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC),
including the MKCG medical college and hospital, power sub-stations on the
outskirts of the city and areas of Gopalpur on Sea. On Tuesday also they would
visit several other cyclone- and flood-affected areas of Ganjam district. On
Tuesday they would reach Bhubaneswar from Ganjam district by helicopter.
Source: The Hindu
Source: The Sambad |
Monday, October 28, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Ground report from Berhampur: Ten days after cyclone Phailin, Ganjam remains powerless
By Jajati Karan, CNN-IBN
It has been ten days now that the worst cyclone, Phailin,
hit the Ganjam district in Odisha has been plunged in darkness as the
district's entire power system has literally been blown away. To know about the
hardship the four million people staying in this district are facing, CNN-IBN
spent a night in Berhampur city and its adjoining villages. As the sun sets in
Ganjam, it looks as if the entire district has gone back to the dark ages. It's
hard to believe that Behrampur is the commercial capital of South Odisha. Post
cyclone Phailin, this entire area has no power supply.
Odisha: Ten days after cyclone Phailin, Ganjam remains powerless |
The first sight in the city was a long queue at an ATM,
which was one of the few working. "We can't do anything without power.
Life has become so difficult," said Aan, a medical student of MKCG medical
college. In a grocery shop which had a power generator, there was a sudden rush
to charge mobile phones. The shopkeeper charges Rs 20 per hour from desperate
customers like retired government servant Manoranjan Sarangi. "My
daughters and son stay outside Odisha and this mobile is the only means of
communication, so I have to charge it at any cost," Manoranjan said.
At one of the main streets of Berhampur at 8 pm at night,
when the city should buzz with activities, most of the commercial establishments
remain closed and the city comes to a standstill. The only light one sees is
the temporary lamp post set by Odisha government's OSDMA. If the city life in
Berhampur is a nightmare, for villages the situation is worse.
Cyclone affected Saraswati Sahoo said, "We elders and
the men sleep outside on the streets, whereas our young girls have to sleep in
dark inside the house though it's very hot inside." The power crisis has
led to an acute water shortage.
Efforts to supply drinking water through tankers are
inadequate. Restoration of electricity towers, damaged by the cyclone, is
progressing slowly. GRIDCO CMD Hemant Sharma said, "The task before us is
mammoth. The damage which has taken place should normally take three years but
we are trying to do it in the shortest possible time."
According to top sources of the Odisha government, it will
take at least 10 days in Berhampur and more than a month in the entire Ganjam
district for power to fully restore and until then the ordeal of the people
like these is not going to end anytime soon.
Link Odisha: Ten days after cyclone Phailin, Ganjam remains powerless
Link Odisha: Ten days after cyclone Phailin, Ganjam remains powerless
Sunday, October 20, 2013
PHAILIN: Berhampur University suffers heavy damage
The campus now resembles a war-ravaged area
Sports complex of Berhampur
University totally
damaged
Debris of fallen building and uprooted trees all over the
Bhanja Bihar campus, sprawling over 251 acres, greet the visitors today. One can
find only a heap of bricks and mortars at a place that used to be PG hostel and
sports complex.
Post Cyclone: Berhampur University |
The power and drinking water systems have totally collapsed.
The Bhanjabihar campus was caught in the eye of the severe cyclonic storm
Phailin on October 12. “We bore the brunt of the devastation caused by Phailin
as the campus is located just two km from the Gopalpur coast, Vice-Chancellor
Deepak Kumar Behera, told The Hindu on Friday. “We don’t know when we can rebuild our campus and ensure
normal academic activity. We have asked the State government to conduct a
safety audit as the structural stability of various structures which withstood
the onslaught of the cyclone is in doubt,” he said.
The university administration made a preliminary estimate of
the loss and put it at Rs.60 crore. Responding to the SOS sent by the
university, the government sanctioned Rs.10 crore, of which Rs.3 crore was
released to take up restoration work immediately.
Sports complex Berhampur University |
The university has 20 departments and imparts six self-financing
courses. It has a law college and 100 affiliated colleges under its
jurisdiction. The puja vacation was supposed to end on October 21. Principal of
Khollikote Autonomous College Saritanjali Bahidar said they had sought
extension of holidays till October 31.
Berhampur University Registrar B.P. Rath and Director of
College Development Council B.C. Choudhary said it was not possible to resume
classes before Diwali. Source: The Hindu
Saturday, October 19, 2013
HORRIFIC TRAIL OF DEVASTATION FROM BRAHMAPUR TO B’GAON
By: HEMANTA KUMAR PRADHAN
Having experienced a ferocious cyclonic storm Phailin on
October 12 last at Brahmapur, I along with a few fellow reporters undertook a
motorcycle journey on the October 13 morning to see how the monstrous storm had
wrecked havoc and left a trail of devastation in coastal Ganjam and its
neighbouring districts.
As the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted
that the cyclonic storm would badly affect the villages and towns between
Balugaon and Brahmapur, we decided to start our journey from Brahmapur to
Balugaon to get a first-hand report on the ravages of Phailin. Though the wind
speed had deceased considerably, we were still haunted by fear of the wind
turning frightful again.
We visited various places of the city and captured photos of
heaps of rubble, uprooted trees and electric poles and snapped wires across the
city.From the First Gate of Brahmapur to the Gopalpur junction, the city wore a
fearful look. Most of the old and new trees had toppled, while water was running
over road from Roland Institute to Gopalpur junction as Bahana Nala had
overflowed. The main road connecting NH-5 was disconnected. We looked for the
shortcuts but they too had been blocked as uprooted trees kept lying over them.
So, we took a bypass road via Lanjipalli over bridge to reach NH-5 so that we
could move to Balugaon.
When we crossed Lanjipalli, we got to know the death of a
child at Bijipur in wall collapse and another similar case at Gosani Nuagaon in
the city. Storm didn’t show any mercy to the telephone towers and electric
poles and transformers. The telecommunication and electricity supply was badly
hit. We visited Ayodhya Nagar, Gajapati Nagar, Lochapada and Aska Road and saw
the areas in ruin. The Brahmapur railway station was also destroyed. The kutcha
and asbestos houses were badly affected in the storm near the station.
We managed to cross streets of the city with much difficulty
as they had been filled with damaged branches and leaves and broken electric
poles rounded with wires. We touched the NH-5 and set off for Balugaon. On the
way, a truck driver told us that a few lorries had turned turtle near Konishi
after being hit by the cyclonic storm. The wind was still blowing at a high
speed, enough to shake our motorcycle, in which we were travelling. But it
hardly had the strength to shake our determination to move ahead and see the
large-scale devastations and wreckages.
The low-lying areas with paddy crops to the right side of
the NH had been fully submerged. During our journey, we passed many petrol
pumps beside the NH, which too had faced the ire of the cyclone. With their
shades damaged, most of them had shut down. We hardly saw any people or any
vehicle on the road. A dead silence had reigned supreme everywhere. We crossed
Jagannathpur junction and then Mandiapalli, which connects Gopalpur beach via
Berhampur University. Two reporters who camped at the university campus joined
us at the junction. What they told us about the devastation the university had
gone through was shocking. The university was famous for its greenery having
thousands of trees, but the storm had stripped it of its pride possession and
rendered it barren. It hurt us when we knew that the dreaded storm had not
spared the deer park, classrooms and hostels inside the campus of the
university.
We took a glance of a high school near the NH at
Chamakhandi, which was filled with broken trees. Then we saw a few village
roads connecting the NH filled with uprooted trees. Most fruit-bearing trees
had been badly damaged. We reached the district headquarters town of
Chhatrapur. The Collectorate and residence of the Collector had been affected.
The storm had not spared a single building with asbestos roof. Educational
institutions had been damaged. We visited the people in the relief centre at
Onslow High School. While talking with the poor people of the cyclone-hit area,
we were told how the victims had undergone a harrowing experience on the
previous night.
Our team resumed journey and passed the Tampara Lake after
Chatrapur. The gigantic mango, coconut, jackfruit and eucalyptus plants along
NH were kissing the ground. We came across a damaged roadside hotel A1 dhaba
near the lake where three lorries had overturned. Then we crossed the
overflowing Rushikulya and reached Purunabandha-Binchhanapalli cyclone shelter
after Ganjam town. The fishermen were about to leave the shelter as wind had
been quite slow. Taking some dry food given by the administration, the fishermen
were leaving the cyclone shelter for their homes, but they looked to be
stressed with anxiety, apprehension and fear about the safety of their houses
and the belongings, especially the fishnets and boats.
An electric sub-station at Humma had been damaged. After
crossing the Palur junction, we reached severely affected coastal villages such
as Podagada, Jhatipadar, Barapalli under Ganjam block. We stopped at Sai dhaba
where two lorries had met a mishap. We reached Gopinathpur coming under Ward 6 of
Rambha NAC. Out of total 14 families living in the village, 12 kutcha houses
were badly damaged. Coconut trees, bamboo and eucalyptus trees had toppled over
houses. Two persons were injured due to the sudden fall of the trees, said a
homeless villager Rama Nath.
We then moved towards a few severely affected villages like
Jharedi, Kantapada, Sipakuda and Madhurchua near the Chilika lake. We got to
know that a few fishing villages near Sabulia were also affected when water of
the lake gushed into their villages. We were astounded after seeing a huge loss
of fruit-bearing trees in the groves. Before reaching Badaghati, we saw a
village road to Pana Nuagoan filled with uprooted old trees and a damaged
autorickshaw near a huge tree. On the day of the cyclone, driver Parameswar was
killed after a huge tree fell down on him while crossing the road.
We wanted to move to Khallikote, but a local advised us not
to go there as the road was not clear. We continued our journey and reached
Keshpur at 9am. The Chilika water had entered the paddy fields and inundated
many villages of Pathara panchayat. When we reached Balugaon, we found people
slowly coming out of their houses. Everywhere, we saw heaps of debris and
fallen and broken trees.
People everywhere were demanding relief like dry food since
people had lost their homes and belongings in the gale. Starving children were
staring at us helplessly. As relief had not been supplied to them in time,
angry locals near Balugaon were preparing to hold a road blockade on NH-5.
Source: The Pioneer
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Watch: Real picture post-cyclone Phailin
Watch: Real picture post-cyclone Phailin
Cyclone Phailin hit the Gopalpur coast in Odisha on Saturday night and Chattarpur in Ganjam district was the worst hit. The timely evacuation by the officials saved many lives in the state even though they they faced resistance by the people.
Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/428629/watch-real-picture-postcyclone-phailin.html?utm_source=ref_article
Cyclone Phailin hit the Gopalpur coast in Odisha on Saturday night and Chattarpur in Ganjam district was the worst hit. The timely evacuation by the officials saved many lives in the state even though they they faced resistance by the people.
Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/428629/watch-real-picture-postcyclone-phailin.html?utm_source=ref_article
Bollywood prays for victims of Cyclone Phailin
Bollywood prays for victims of Cyclone Phailin Big B and
Madhuri shared their grief on Twitter After witnessing nature's fury in the
form of tropical cyclone Phailin, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Madhuri
Dixit took to the micro-blogging site Twitter to share the loss and grief of
all those affected.
Phailin is said to be one of the biggest cyclones to hit
India's coast in 14 years. At least seven people lost their lives as the
cyclone, accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds, swept coastal Odisha on
Saturday night, according to official sources on Sunday.
Here's what the celebrities had to say:
Amitabh Bachchan: The fury of the gods in cyclone Phailin!
Be careful, beware and be protected and be in prayer!
Madhuri Dixit: My prayers go out to all the people affected
by cyclone Phailin. May God give them strength to overcome this ordeal.
Akshay Kumar: My prayers with all those impacted by nature's
wrath. Hoping for calm in Odisha, sadly that's all we can do at this moment.
Phailin.
Mira Nair: Holding my breath about Phailin, prayers and
courage for the people of my birthplace in Odisha. May nature's fury be contained?
Shekhar Ravjiani: My prayers for all those facing the wrath
of Phailin and respect for the officials who are working overtime to evacuate
people to safety.
Tisca Chopra: While our prayers are with those affected by
Phailin, it must be said GOI (government of India) has done great, evacuating
half a million people is no small task!
Anupam Kher: Every time nature shows its fury, fragility of
our existence gets badly exposed. It makes importance of the word 'I' so
unimportant. Phailin.
Boman Irani: Seems we were more prepared than usual. Even
nature seems to respect that and in turn has been less brutal than expected. Source:
Indo-Asian News Service Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Ganjam worst hit by Cyclone Phailin, 2.4 lakh houses damaged
Uprooted trees on a road in Berhampur caused by cyclone Phailin (Source: The Hindu) |
BERHAMPUR:
Hit hardest by Cyclone 'Phailin', the coastal district of Ganjam is estimated
to have suffered a loss of at least Rs 3,000 crore in the nature's fury which
has deprived lakhs of people of their livelihood and damaged 2.4 lakh houses. Fishermen
have suffered massive losses as their nets, boats and catamarans have been
damaged. The farming community has also been hit with the standing paddy crop
submerged in water. Moved by the tragedy that has struck the hapless people
here, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, after a visit to relief camps, has
ordered payment of Rs 500 each to the affected even as the administration will
begin distribution of ration free of cost for two months.
Damaged pandals in Berhampur city in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin (The Hindu) |
Official
sources have pegged the loss in Ganjam at more than Rs 3,000 crore in this
district alone. Power infrastructure has been damaged to a great extent. "There
has been extensive damage to the standing paddy crop as a huge area of land
covering paddy fields has been submerged in rain water. There has been huge
loss to horticulture farming also as an enormous number of mango and coconut
trees have been uprooted," District Collector Krishan Kumar told PTI.
Source: MapsofIndia.Com |
He
said Ganjam is the worst-affected district in Odisha in terms of loss of
livelihood and property. "More than 2.4 lakh houses have been damaged
which includes fishermen huts and other 'kutcha' houses," Kumar said. A
special relief package for fishermen will also be announced by the government. Fishermen
have suffered massive losses as their nets, boats and catamarans have been
damaged, the Collector said. He said nine people have lost lives due to cyclone
in this district alone.]
Source: PTI, Business Standard, The Hindu
Source: PTI, Business Standard, The Hindu
Source: The Sambad |
Deserted Berhampur road post-Phailin (Source: The Hindu)
Source: OrissaPost
Other Images of the devastation in Berhampur & Gopalpur
Courtesy: The Washington Post Link- http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/india-braces-for-cyclone/2013/10/12/8d4f2a2c-335f-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_gallery.html#photo=29
|