Tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary today

Phailin changes face of ‘green’ Tara Tarini hill: The Hindu

The ropeway station at the foothills of the famous Tara Tarini mangled with uprooted trees in the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin at Purushottampur in Ganjam district of Odisha. —Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

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

Tampara lake near Berhampur faces the wrath of cyclone Phailin

Source: The Sambad

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

Central Congress leaders give a skip to tragedy-hit Ganjam

Cyclone Phailin cripples normal life

Source: Orissa Post

Cyclone ravaged Berhampur gears up for Deepawali and Kali puja

Source: The Sambad

Central team continues its assessment of loss post-Phailin in Ganjam for the second day

Source: The Sambad

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

Flood situation disrupts train movements in Berhampur and South Odisha

Source: The Sambad

Ganjam presents a scary picture battered by floods and cyclone

Ganjam recalls the tragedies of 1990 and 1999 - 2013 proves to be the worst

Source: The Sambad

Insensitive administration compounds the woes of the disaster ravaged Berhampur

Source: The Sambad

Two blackbucks saved from the furious river Rushikulya

Source: The Sambad

Situation still precarious in flood-hit South Odisha

Source: The Sambad

Tragedy is not yet over for Berhampur and Ganjam

Heavy rains leave Berhampur city waterlogged; Government of Odisha is nowhere to be seen

Source: The Sambad

Berhampur MP missing in action as city faces double tragedy

Source: The Sambad