BHUBANESWAR: With an aim to ensure regular flow of relief to the flood-hit the Government on Wednesday cancelled puja holidays of officials involved in relief operation, damage assessment and restoration works in the affected districts. The 10-day puja holiday starts from October 2. This will be applicable to Government officials deputed from districts not affected by floods.None of the officials can avail of leave without permission of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Revenue and Disaster Management Minister SN Patro told mediapersons here on Wednesday. FLOOD TOLL 38: Meanwhile, the situation in the affected areas remains worrisome with three persons missing in Angul, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj districts. The death roll in the current floods has mounted to 38. Three more deaths have been reported from Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts with the total casualties rising to nine and six respectively. Jajpur district has reported two more human casualties while Keonjhar and Balasore have reported two and one more human deaths respectively. However, communication was established on Wednesday to Jajpur town and Bari after remaining cut off from the mainland for last seven days. The Baruan-Jajpur road became motorable while Bari is approachable following fast receding of flood water. Flood water of two feet height was flowing in Bari when this report was filed. Road communication to Bari will be possible from Thursday, he said. Boat operations were wound up in Bari and supply of relief materials was made through tractors, he said. Distribution of relief has been intensified in the flood-affected areas of Jajpur and Kendrapara districts with opening up of more number of free kitchens. The focus of the Government is on the two districts, the Minister said. Rice distribution to the affected families will start from Thursday for which truck loads of rice have been kept ready, Jajpur District Collector Anil Samal said. The Minister said medical teams had reached the affected areas and disinfection of ponds, wells, tube wells and other sources of drinking water have also started. More medical and sanitation teams will be pressed into service in areas where communication has been established. Airdropping of food packets will continue where road communication is not possible yet. Three choppers made 13 sorties on Wednesday and dropped 7,300 food packets in the two districts, Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said. The Government directed all the schools and colleges to involve their NCC and NSS teams in the relief operation. It also sought the assistance of NGOs in the relief and restoration works, the Minister said.
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