India, Aug. 2 -- As floodwaters continue to recede across Odisha, the state government has shifted its focus from rescue to damage assessment and restoration. Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari on Sunday said the overall flood situation has improved, though more than eight lakh people across 22 districts have been affected by the calamity.

According to the minister, Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur remain the worst-hit districts, while parts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda and Cuttack also suffered the impact of flooding. The government has begun extensive damage assessment to determine losses to homes, crops and public infrastructure.

Damage assessment underway

Teams from the Agriculture and Revenue departments have been deployed to conduct fi...