When cyclone swept Orissa, Minister was busy in Patna

Officials continued to claim that little could be done from New Delhi. Arrangements were made to mobilise around five to six satellite terminals from Delhi and Calcutta to be sent to restore communication links in Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar on a 8220;priority basis.8221; However, all flights to these cities were called off and the satellite terminals are stuck at the airports in Delhi and Calcutta.

According to senior officials of the newly created Department of Telecommunication Services DTS, the trouble began withcommunication links in Paradip and Puri being cut off.

With water flooding the building containing the main communication equipment in Cuttack the telecom department 8220;was forced to switch off the entire exchange.8221; After Cuttack links went on the blink, Bhubaneshwar was next to follow where all microwave as well as optical fibre networks were affected.

8220;Teams have been rushed in from Behrampur, Balasore and Sambhalpur to help in the restoration work in the badly affected areas in eastern Orissa,8221; said Pradhan S Saran, secretary DTS. 8220;We are hopeful that within the next 24 hours with rains permitting restoration work, we will first get Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar working followed by district headquarters which have been affected,8221; he added.