Central team to soon visit Odisha to assess crop damage due to cyclone Fani

Thousands of coconut and mango trees are reported to have been uprooted in the extremely severe cyclone that hit the coastal districts of the state a week ago.

A central team will visit Odisha in a day or two to assess the extent of damage to agricultural and horticultural crops in areas badly affected by recent cyclone Fani, a senior government official said Friday. “A team has been constituted and will leave for Odisha in a day or two to examine the extent of damage, based on which the relief amount will be decided,” the official told PTI.

Thousands of coconut and mango trees are reported to have been uprooted in the extremely severe cyclone that hit the coastal districts of the state a week ago. Even agricultural land closure to the coastal areas has been washed out, he said. According to the state government’s preliminary assessment, more than 30 per cent crop has been damaged in Odisha due to the cyclone.

Puri: A view of the destruction caused by Cyclone Fani after its landfall. (PTI Photo)

More than 1,00,000 hectares of agricultural land was badly affected in 14 districts of the state, the report said. The central government official also mentioned that the team may not visit Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal because not much damage has been reported from these two states. In the case of Odisha, the state is still reeling under the after-effects of the cyclonic storm; and the entire state machinery is involved in the daunting task of recovery.