Bhubaneswar: A 13-year-old boy drowned in a pond in Bhubaneswar’s Baramunda area Monday while he was bathing.

The victim identified as Om Prakash Pradhan, was a class-VIII student of a residential school of an orphanage in Khandagiri area.

The boy and his friends had gone to the pond near their school to bathe in the morning. He, however, slipped into deep water and drowned. His friends immediately called the locals for help.

Police and fire services teams reached the spot and fished out the victim’s body from the pond and sent it to a hospital in the state capital for post-mortem.

IANS

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s GST collections increased by 12.85 per cent to Rs 4,249.12 crore in September, officials said Sunday.

The state had collected a gross GST revenue of Rs 3,765.17 crore in the same month last year, they said.

The collection to be retained by the state (OGST+IGST settlement) was Rs 1,651.58 crore, against 1,157.08 crore in September 2022, a growth of 42.74 per cent, they added.

The state generated 20.66 lakh waybills in September, as compared to 17.66 lakh waybills during the corresponding period of last year.

Helped by improved compliance, overall GST collections in the country increased by 10 per cent to over Rs 1.62 lakh crore in September, crossing the Rs 1.6 lakh crore mark for the fourth time during the current financial year.

PTI 

Bhubaneswar: Heavy rains are likely to continue in parts of Odisha till October 5 due to a well-marked low-pressure area over West Bengal and neighbouring Jharkhand, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Sunday.

In the last 24 hours, heavy rains lashed parts of Khurda, Puri, Kendrapara and Nayagarh districts, it said.

Jatni in Khurda district recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 138 mm, followed by 96 mm at Satyabadi in Puri district and 87 mm rainfall in Kendrapara, it added.

An ‘Orange’ warning of heavy rainfall was issued for Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Keonjhar and Sambalpur districts on Monday.

Heavy rains are also likely in Bargarh, Sonepur, Bolangir, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kendrapara, the IMD said.

It also predicted thunderstorms along with lightning in Balasore, Cuttack and Khurda, among others.

PTI 

Bhubaneswar: Senior citizens are valuable assets of society, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Sunday, calling upon people to take care of them.

In a video message on the occasion of International Day for Older Persons, Patnaik said they have experience and solutions to different problems.

“So, we have to learn more from them,” he said.

He highlighted the various welfare schemes his government launched for older persons, including the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY).

Facilities such as old age homes, geriatric wards and physiotherapy centres have been set up in different hospitals for senior citizens, he added.

PTI 

Berhampur/ Bhubaneswar: A government official and his wife were sentenced to two years in jail by a court in Odisha in a 14-year-old corruption case.

The special vigilance court sentenced N Prakash Patra and his wife N Santoshini Patra to two years in jail after convicting them in the corruption case.

It was alleged that the couple amassed assets worth Rs 12.19 lakh when Prakash was posted as a junior clerk at the Patrapur community health center in Ganjam district about 14 years ago. He is at present posted at the Patrapur Sub-Divisional Hospital.

Special vigilance judge Arun Kumar Sahoo also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each of the two. Delivering the verdict Saturday, the judge said that they will undergo imprisonment for another three months if they fail to pay the fine amount, according to public prosecutor Surendra Panda.

The court convicted the couple after examining 25 witnesses, and analysing his properties found in raids at his houses, office quarter, and chamber, he said.

The official was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe, following which the raids were conducted, said Panda.

The wife was arrested as she allegedly abetted the offence committed by her husband, he said.

A vigilance court in Bhubaneswar sentenced Ludasini Nayak, an ex-welfare extension officer of Nuagaon block in Nayagarh district, to four years in jail in a different corruption case.

A fine of Rs 5,000 was imposed on her and in case she fails to pay it, she will undergo imprisonment for another two months.

The court also sentenced Nayak to three years in jail in a separate corruption case, besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,000.

Both the sentences will run concurrently, the court said.

A retired village-level worker (VLW) of Angul district, Sarbeswar Pani, was sentenced to three years in jail in another such case.

The special vigilance court in Angul also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him, and if fails to pay it, he will undergo imprisonment for another two months.

The state Vigilance Department said it will take steps for the dismissal of Prakash and Ludasini from service, and stop the pension of the VLW who has retired.

PTI

Cuttack: After Saturday’s power outage at different departments of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, the incident was repeated Sunday for several hours once again, said a source.

According to the source, the hospital witnessed a power cut for about 14 hours Saturday and Sunday it lasted for over six hours.

Both the patients and attendants had a harrowing time during the power outage. Doctors had to administer crucial injections and salines using mobile flashlights, the source added.

Due to Saturday’s humid conditions, many of the patients went outside to get fresh air and some used handmade fans as the power outage lasted from 5am to 7pm. For some time, patients were unable to avail some tests such as CT scans and blood tests, the source informed.

Also read: Two persons wanted in drug seizure cases held in Odisha

SCB Medical Superintendent, Sudhanshu Shekhar Mishra said that the electricity issue at the medicine ward has been resolved.

“As far as the electric works go by, I cannot say anything as of now. We are trying to prevent such power outages in the future as both patients and doctors have to suffer,” Mishra added.

PNN

Bhubaneswar: Two persons, who were on the run and wanted in two different brown sugar seizure cases, were arrested in Odisha’s Khurda district, police said Sunday.

The two accused were apprehended by the special task force (STF) of the crime branch of the Odisha Police.

One of them was wanted in a case registered in January 2022 after the seizure of 3.110 kg of brown sugar worth over Rs 3 crore along with arms and ammunition, an STF official said.

He was the main supplier of arms and ammunition to another person who was arrested earlier in this case.

Also read: Infra woes push students to choose Andhra schools in Odisha’s Gajapati

Acting on a tip-off, the STF arrested a drug peddler, who was wanted in a case involving the seizure of 1,090 gram of brown sugar worth over Rs 1 crore, the STF official said, adding that the case was registered in December 2021.

Further investigation is on, the official added.

PTI

Bhubaneswar: The Jagannath Temple in Puri owns over 60,822 acres of land in Odisha and six other states, Odisha Law Minister Jagannath Saraka informed the assembly Saturday.

In a written reply to a question from BJD member Prasanta Behera, the minister said a total of 60,426.943 acres of land in the name of Mahaprabhu Jagannath Bije, Srikhetra Puri, have been identified in 24 of the 30 districts of Odisha.

Of these, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has received the final Record of Rights (RoR) over 38,061.892 acres of land, he said.

Similarly, 395.252 acres of land in six other states were identified in the name of Lord Jagannath, Saraka said.

The minister said that the temple has already lodged 974 encroachment cases in different tehsils of the state to remove illegal encroachments.

The cases were filed as per the provision of the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, after the conduct of a proper inquiry by SJTA officials.

PTI 

Bhubaneswar: A labourer was killed after being run over by a speeding car on a footpath near Rajmahal Square here, police said Saturday.

The driver fled from the spot along with the vehicle after the incident that took place late on Friday, they said.

The deceased is yet to be identified.

After the arrival of the family members, a post-mortem examination will be conducted, police said.

“We are going through the CCTV footage of the area to identify the car,” said Manas Ranjan Garnaik, ACP, (Zone-I).

PTI 

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Saturday approved 19 investment projects worth Rs 3,663 crore.

These projects, approved during a meeting of the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, are expected to generate employment for over 13,500 people, an official statement said.

The EPIC Group, a Hong Kong-based apparel manufacturer renowned for serving some of the world’s leading brands, is poised to bolster foreign direct investment (FDI) in Odisha, it said.

Trimetro Garments India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the EPIC Group, is planning to invest Rs 376.85 crore for the establishment of its apparel manufacturing facility in Khurda district, it said.

The state government has approved proposals of several steel companies including Nezone Steel Utkal LLP, Advance Steel Tubes Limited, Nirmal Steels Private Limited, Rungta Mines Ltd, Ferro Tech India Pvt Ltd, and Super Sonic Logistics Pvt Ltd. Collectively, these companies have proposed to invest over Rs 2,000 crore in regions such as Kalinganagar, Dhenkanal and Sundergarh.

In the renewable energy sector, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), an enterprise of the central government and state-run Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGCL), have proposed to set up solar power plants with investments of Rs 297.61 crore and Rs 215 crore respectively.

Time Technoplast Ltd and Oricon Enterprise Ltd got approval from the state for setting up their manufacturing units in Khurda, with investments of Rs 57 crore and Rs 90 crore respectively.

Infrastructure projects of Koli Commercial LLP and Vimla Infrastructure (India) Pvt Ltd, both proposing to set up private freight terminals under the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Terminal scheme, were also approved by the government.

PTI 

Bhubaneswar: Board of Secondary Education, Odisha has announced an extension of the deadline for submitting application forms for the upcoming 2024 Higher School Certificate (HSC) and State Open School Certificate (SOSC) examinations.

The new deadline for online application submissions is now October 5, 2023. This update was officially communicated in a press release issued Saturday.

According to the press release, the deadline extension applies to both online applications for the Annual HSC & SOSC Examination, 2024, and offline applications for the Madhyama Examination, 2024.

The Board authorities have urged school administrators to ensure the completion of the application process by October 5, as there will be no further extensions beyond this date.

Also read: AIIMS Bhubaneswar to start Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat children with cancer

It can be mentioned here that the original deadline for submitting forms for the Class X examination was September 30, 11.45pm.

As per the BSE’s notification dated July 27, the annual HSC, Madhyama, and SOSC examinations for 2024 are scheduled to take place simultaneously from February 20 to March 4, 2024.

PNN

Bhubaneswar: AIIMS Bhubaneswar is going to start Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HPSCT) in the Medical Oncology/Hematology department for needy children suffering from cancer.

Speaking at a special function organised to create awareness about childhood cancer, AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director Dr. Ashutosh Biswas said, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has been rendering holistic, quality and affordable care to children with cancer through a multidisciplinary approach.AIIMS Bhubaneswar not only caters to Odisha but also pediatric patients from nearby states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

The outcome in pediatric cancers has changed from seemingly incurable diseases to survival exceeding 80-90 per cent in the last 50 years, said Dr. Sonali Mohapatra, Addl. Prof. Dept. of Medical Oncology/Hematology AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

In the current era, more than 75-80 per cent of childhood cancer patients can be cured completely, with survival exceeding 90 per cent in certain cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (blood cancer), lymphomas and renal tumours, informed Dr. Mohapatra.

The department has registered more than 1,200 children with cancer and currently treats around 250-300 new patients per year, Dr. Biswas said. To increase awareness on various aspects of childhood cancer, the department Saturday organised a series of programmes like walkathon, patient/parent and doctor interaction.

However, pediatric oncology in India is still a work in progress. The outcomes in the Indian subcontinent often lag behind the Western counterparts due to Various factors like delayed diagnosis, delayed referral, treatment abandonment and poor socioeconomic and educational conditions that contribute to suboptimal outcomes, Mohapatra added.

Thus, an integrated, multidisciplinary and holistic approach is the need of the hour to overcome these obstacles.
In collaboration with various government and non-government organizations (NGOs), the national institute also provides social/financial support and shelter homes to poor and needy children to enable them to complete therapy, Mohapatra added.

Notably, September is observed as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month worldwide, and the Golden Ribbon is the dedicated logo associated with it.

UNI

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Saturday forecast very heavy rainfall for Odisha over the next three days as the low-pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a well-marked system.

Weather scientist Umashankar Dash of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said that the well-marked low-pressure area is likely to move towards the northern Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts over the next 24 hours.

In the last 24 hours till 8.30am Saturday, Odisha received an average rainfall of 10mm, with Soro in Balasore district recording the highest of 113mm, followed by 95.1mm at Ghasipura in Keonjhar district and 95 mm at Banpur in Khurda district.

In its mid-day bulletin for farmers, the IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers in northern Odisha, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada and several other districts.

The weather office said isolated very heavy rainfall is likely during the day. Squally weather conditions will prevail along the coast, with wind speeds reaching 65kmph.

The IMD had Friday issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) for three days for the districts of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore.

Also read: Illegal gutkha manufacturing unit busted in Odisha’s Ganjam district

Similarly, it issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) for Sundergarh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Angul, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts.

For Sunday, an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) was issued for the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Sundergarh, Deogarh Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sonepur and Balangir.

It issued a yellow warning of heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) for Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts Sunday.

The IMD has warned of the possibility of water-logging in low-lying areas, occasional reduction of visibility on roads, causing traffic congestion in urban areas and damage to kuccha houses and roads during intense spells of rain.

Farmers were advised to defer the process of administering fertilisers on crops and to keep livestock in safe places.

PTI

Bhubaneswar: Members of the Opposition BJP in Odisha Saturday created a ruckus in the House forcing Speaker Pramila Mallick to adjourn the House at 10.31 hours till 16.00 hours.

As soon as the House assembled for Question Hour and the Mallik took her seat, opposition BJP members started shouting in protest against the suspension of the two party MLAs, Mohan Majhi and Mukesh Mahaling, on charges of throwing ‘daal’ at the Speaker’s podium Thursday.

Denying the charge, Majhi claimed that the Speaker’s decision to suspend the two MLAs without checking CCTV camera footage was unfortunate.

The MLA duo was suspended from the House till end of the monsoon session October 4.

The BJP members also demanded expunging of the words “mental health disorder” from the records of the House. BJD member from Nayagarh Arun Kumar Sahoo had made the remark against opposition leaders.

“The Speaker is a doll in hands of the ruling party,” Mishra told reporters outside the House.He also alleged that the ruling BJD deliberately wanted to avoid discussions on important issues and the House was, therefore, adjourned till 4pm all of a sudden.

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra also blamed the government saying it is the duty of the Speaker to run the House. Instead of suddenly adjourning it till 4 pm, the Speaker should have called an all-party meeting for discussion to ensure smooth conduct of business in the Assembly, he said.

PNN & Agencies

Bhubaneswar/ Bolangir: The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police’s crime branch has arrested a wildlife smuggler and rescued a live pangolin from him, an official said Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, an STF team with the help of Bolangir forest division officials Friday conducted a raid near Bidighat Chhaka under Deogaon police station in Bolangir district and rescued the pangolin, the STF official said.

The accused has been identified as Sebak Dharua, a native of Kalijharan village in Bolangir.

Also read: Illegal gutkha manufacturing unit busted in Odisha’s Ganjam district

The STF has registered a case under different sections of IPC and Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

The pangolin was handed over to DFO, Bolangir for safe custody, he said.

The Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), also called thick-tailed pangolin, is a Schedule-I protected animal under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

PTI

Cuttack: The ASI and the managing committee of the Jagannath Temple in Puri will collaborate for the conservation work of the Ratna Bhandar or the treasury inside the 12th-century shrine, the Orissa High Court said Friday.

On the plea for making an inventory of the valuables in the Ratna Bhandar, the court said that it expects the state government to come forward for efficient management when its cooperation is sought by the managing committee.

Disposing of the petition filed by BJP leader Samir Mohanty, a division bench headed by Chief Justice Subhasis Talapatra refused to interfere and referred to the Supreme Court’s 2019 observation on a similar plea, in which it was stated that the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) is the sole repository of faith.

The high court said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in a meeting with the SJTMC in August held a detailed discussion on the Ratna Bhandar, its conservation and repair, and a fresh inventory of the valuables inside it.

It was decided in the meeting that Ratna Bhandar would be opened and repaired during the next Rath Yatra, the court said.

It was also decided in the meeting that the government would be requested to form a high-level committee with a retired high court or Supreme Court judge as its head to supervise the process of inventory.

The high court said that if the SJTMC approaches the state government, then it will have to constitute the committee within a period of 60 days.

PTI 

Bhubaneswar: With the IMD forecasting heavy rainfall across Odisha from Saturday following the formation of a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, the state government has braced itself to tackle any situation arising out of it.

The low-pressure area (LOPAR) now lies over northeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal and is likely to become well marked and move northwestwards towards north Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts during the next 48 hours, the national weather agency said.

The heavy rainfall due to it across Odisha from Saturday may cause inundation of low-lying areas, flash flood and landslide in some places, it said.

“Under the influence of Thursday’s cyclonic circulation over Myanmar and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal, a low-pressure area was formed Friday morning over northeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal with the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level. It  now persists over the same region.

“The system is likely to become a well-marked low pressure area and move northwestwards towards north Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts during the next 48 hours,” the IMD said in its mid-day bulletin.

It forecast heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) in places in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak districts till 8.30 am on Saturday.

Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) in a letter to the district collectors asked the administration to gear up to tackle the low pressure-induced rainfall.

“The heavy to very heavy rainfall may be reported immediately to the SRC office and submit report on any damage if it occurred due to thunderstorm, whirlwind, hailstorm, lightening immediately for the information of the government,” the SRC said in the letter to district collectors.

Yellow warning (be prepared) of thunderstorm and lighting was issued for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sundargarh, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada.

Stating that the intensity of rain is expected to increase during the next three days, The IMD issued both orange warning (be updated) and yellow warning for the state from 8.30 am of Saturday to 8.30 am of Sunday.

Orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) was issued for Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts for Saturday.

Also read: Odisha weather: Low-pressure area likely to move towards north Odisha; IMD issues fishermen warning

Yellow warning of heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) was also issued for Sundergarh, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Angul, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts.

Thunderstorm with lightning may occur at one or two places in North Odisha, South coastal Odisha, Sonepur, Boudh, Kandhamal, Balangir and Kalahandi, the bulletin said.

Apart from warning water logging in low-lying areas and underpass roads, the Met office predicted inundation of agricultural fields, occasional reduction of visibility causing traffic congestion in urban areas and damage to kutcha roads and houses during the intense spells of rain.

It also warned of possibile landslides in hilly areas of the state during the four-day of intense rainfall from September 30 to October 3.

It advised farmers to postpone fertiliser and chemicals application in agricultural fields and keep their livestock in safe places.

Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said during the last 24 hours the state recorded an average of 3.3 mm rainfall with maximum of 59 mm downpour at Lamtaput in Koraput district. Gumma in Gajapati district recorded 55 mm rainfall during the period and Korukunda in Malkangiri district reported 50 mm rainfall.

PTI

Bhubaneswar: The low-pressure area over the northeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal and the associated cyclonic circulation persists. It is likely to become a well-marked low-pressure area and move northwestwards towards north Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts over next 48 hours, informed IMD Bhubaneswar Friday.

The weather agency also advised the fisherman not to venture into the north adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal off Odisha coasts from September 30, 2023 to October 1, 2023.

Upto 8.30 AM of September 30: As per the Yellow Warning (be updated), heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. Also, thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Koraput districts.

In the same timeframe, light to moderate rain or thundershower is very likely to occur at many places over the districts of north coastal Odisha, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and at a few places over the rest districts of the state.

From 8.30 AM of September 30 to 8.30 AM of October 1: As per the Orange Warning (be prepared) heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places over Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts.

Besides, heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places over Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts. Also, thunderstorm with lightning is very likely to occur at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Subarnapur, Boudh, Kandhamal, Bolangir and Kalahandi districts.

In the same time frame, light to moderate rain or thundershower is very likely to occur at most places over the districts of north Odisha and at many places over the districts of south Odisha.

Also read: Two girls drown while bathing in Odisha

Impact for Orange warned districts:

1. Water logging in low-lying areas, inundation of agriculture fields. Keep arrangements for drainage of excess water.
2. Possibility of some damage to informal/ kutcha road, wall collapse of vulnerable kutcha houses.
3. Water logging in underpass roads and the occasional reduction of visibility cause traffic congestion in urban areas.

Action suggested

Postpone fertiliser/ chemicals application in agricultural fields, keep livestock in a safe place

In Bhubaneswar, rain or thunderstorms is likely to occur towards afternoon/ evening in next 24 hours. Maximum and minimum temperatures are very likely to be around 34 degree Celsius and 26 degree Celsius respectively.

In the last 24 hours, the highest maximum temperature of 36.2 degree Celsius was recorded at Chandbali while the lowest minimum temperature of 22.8 degree Celsius was recorded at Nabarangpur, the agency informed.

PNN

Cuttack: A fire broke out at a cloth shop at Choudhury Bazaar here Friday morning, police said.

The fire, which was first spotted on the ground floor of the three-storey building, later spread to two other floors, a fire official said, adding there were no reports of any injury or casualty in the incident.

At least seven fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames. Dark smoke covered the area causing difficulties for fire personnel in carrying out the operation in the busy market area, officials said.

“The smoke is preventing us from entering the building,” a fire services officer said.

The reason for the blaze was yet to be ascertained, an official said.

Bhubaneswar: As many as 16,372 people have died in various natural calamities in Odisha in the last five years, Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi informed the assembly Thursday.

In reply to a question from BJP MLA Kusum Tete, Marndi said 16,372 people have died in natural calamities such as cyclone, lightning strike, fire accident, boat capsize, drowning, flood, heatwave, whirlwind, heavy rain and snakebite from 2018-19 to 2022-23.

While 7,874 people drowned, 5,219 died due to snakebites and lightning strikes killed 2,058 people in Odisha in the last five years, he said.

Similarly, 759 people died in fire accidents, 140 in cyclones, 46 in boat capsize incidents, 73 in floods, 141 due to heatwaves, while whirlwinds and heavy rain accounted for 31 deaths each.

As per the statement of the minister, Mayurbhanj district has registered the highest number of 1,444 disaster deaths during the period, followed by Ganjam (1,162), Balasore (1,139) and Keonjhar (1,115). Boudh reported the lowest of 85 deaths.

Of the 7,874 drowning deaths, the highest of 651 cases were reported in Mayurbhanj, followed by 605 in Ganjam, 592 in Balasore and 545 in Keonjhar. Other districts reported less than 500 deaths.

Tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district also registered the highest number of snakebite death cases at 460, followed by Balasore (378), Keonjhar (352), Ganjam (335), and Sundergarh (325).

The minister said the state government has been providing compensation to the families of the deceased as per the guidelines of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

The government provides Rs 50,000 in case of death due to heatwave and Rs 4 lakh for death due to other listed disasters, he added.

PTI