Odisha announces aid package for families hit by cyclone and floods

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a special relief package for families affected by Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent heavy rain and floods in southern districts.

Relief Package

Every affected family will receive 50kg of rice and ₹2,500 in cash. Small and marginal farmers with crop loss of 33% or more will get an input subsidy of ₹8,500 per hectare in non-irrigated areas and ₹17,000 per hectare in irrigated areas. Farmers will also get ₹22,500 per hectare for perennial crops like mango and cashew, with minimum subsidies set at ₹2,500 for perennial crops and ₹1,000 for non-irrigated areas. Additionally, the government will provide ₹18,000 per hectare to remove sand and silt from fields, along with 1.75 lakh free mini kits.

Sector Support

Housing assistance includes ₹1.20 lakh for fully damaged houses in plains and ₹1.30 lakh in hills, plus ₹6,500 for partially damaged pucca houses and ₹4,000 for kutcha houses. Small shops and vendors will receive ₹10,000, while big shops get ₹25,000. Fisherfolk will get ₹22,500 for boats and ₹15,000 for nets, alongside fish farmer support. Artisans in handicrafts and handlooms will receive ₹5,000 for equipment replacement and ₹5,000 for material losses.

Context

Cyclonic storms frequently impact India's eastern coastline during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, causing widespread damage to agriculture and housing. Governments typically respond to such natural disasters by announcing financial aid packages and input subsidies to help affected residents resume their livelihoods.