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Under siege

Under siege not since 1942 has Orissa witnessed a cyclone of this magnitude. On October 18, a devastating cyclone ripped through one of the state's largest cities, Berhampur in Ganjam district, and adjoining districts leaving a trail of destruction. At the last count around 100 people, including many children, had died and thousands injured.

An estimated five lakh people have been affected in 460 villages in Ganjam district alone. The cyclone, with windspeeds of around 200 km per hour had uprooted trees, twisted electrical poles, brought down houses and blown away tinned roofs. Newspaper reports say that the city skyline had changed overnight: not a single tree remains so much so that the distant mountains are now visible. "It has been an unmitigated disaster,' said chief minister Giridhar Gamang after visiting the worst-hit areas.

And even days later, Berhampur was yet to recover from the natural disaster

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