-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: With lakhs of people hit by floods in the wake of cyclone Phailin, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday sought immediate release of Rs 1,523 crore from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation. "I request the Centre to release an advance of Rs 1,000 crore over and above the corpus of Rs 523 crore available in the State Disaster Response Fund for the year 2013-14," Naveen...

-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: The United Nations on Tuesday appreciated the state government's preparedness in dealing with the 'very very severe' cyclone Phailin, saying it would highlight the efforts as a successful case study globally. Terming the evacuation of nearly one million people, which ensured minimal loss of human lives, a 'landmark success story', special representative of the UN secretary general for disaster risk reduction Margareta Wahlstrom told TOI, "We are...

-The Hindu Delayed payments to poor households threaten to scuttle scheme to build toilets under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan Churu (Rajasthan): Three years ago, Churu, a town of 1.2-lakh people in the Thar desert, was ranked India's dirtiest town by the Planning Commission. Two years ago, the overall district had over 40 per cent households with no toilet of their own. Today, the district is close to its goal of becoming open defecation-free,...

-The Indian Express Death toll mounts to 25; government describes situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as "critical" Gopalpur/Srikakulam/Bhubaneswar: The death toll in calamity-ravaged Odisha on Monday mounted to 25 with four more persons perishing in several areas of the State in the aftermath of cyclone Phailin that triggered heavy rains and floods in some districts. The government described the situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as "critical". Relief and rescue operations have been...

-The Times of India GOPALPUR/CHATRAPUR: With meteorological warning systems working efficiently and swift reaction by the Odisha government and the Centre, the strongest cyclone to strike the country in the last 14 years began dissipating on Sunday, thwarted from its destructive potential by the mass evacuation of close to nine lakh people into cyclone shelters in a matter of hours and days. Roaring at more than 200 kmph, winds ripped through homes...