Toshali Sands

Economic Structure and Natural Calamity

Despite vast deposits of mineral wealth a large number of people in Orissa live below poverty line. Plans programmes have not helped”, to develop the economy structure of Orissa. Besides this, the economic of Orissa is often upset by so natural calamities like flood, drought and cyclone. Cyclone has in recent years become a regular feature like flood or drought. In 1972, the state was hit by a cyclone that reduced the coastal districts to shambles. In 1973 floods brought great damages in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts. In 1974-75 a drought of long duration descended on the state.

In 1979 a tornado destroyed the village Purunabandhagoda in Keonjhar district. In 1982, heavy floods have broken the economic backbone of Orissa. The latest disaster in the state is the super cyclone of October, 1999. Not since the famine that took 1.5 lakh lives in 1866 has Orissa faced a calamity of this magnitude. The loss in terms of human life is not fully calculated. While official records put it around 10 thousands, , a conservative estimate says the death toll is not less than 16 thousands.

Besides, two million tons of kharif rice have been lost from the calamity-hit Orissa. In financial terms, the loss translates to about Rs.2,400/- crore, not including the Rs.500/- odd crore lost in other crops. The devastation has reversed Orissa’s agricultural prospects by at least a decade. During 2000 Orissa the stress of a severe was under especially Western drought, in 2001, twenty four Orissa out of 30 dlstflic .