Revisiting 260-kmph 1999 Super Cyclone

BHUBANESWAR: The possible onslaught of an impending very severe cyclonic storm called Phailin that would hit the Odisha coast by October 12 has reminded the Super Cyclone that had devastated the State’s coastal belt on October 29, 1999.

The Super Cyclone had a maximum wind speed of 260 kmph in the core area that led to sea-level elevation of more than 20 feet. It was accompanied with exceptionally heavy rains that resulted in devastating floods and cut -off the State from the rest of the country.

A tropical depression had formed over the Malay Peninsula on October 25, 1999 and it moved northwest and became a tropical storm on October 26. It strengthened into a cyclone on October 27. On October 28, it became a severe cyclone, ultimately assuming a peak of 160 mph (260 km/h) winds. It caused death of about 10,000 people and heavy-to-extreme damages in its path of destruction.

Around 275,000 homes were destroyed, leaving 1.67 million people homeless. The number of livestock was 4, 06,000. The high number of domestic animal deaths affected livelihoods of around five million farmers. According to meteorologists, the Super Cyclone was the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean since the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone and the deadliest Indian storm since 1971.      

Reported by me for The Pioneer on October 11, 2013 

W Odisha women work in brick kilns at cost of rights

BHUBANESWAR: Around two lakh people from western Odisha districts including Bolangir, Bargarh, Nuapada, Boudh, Subarnapur and Kalahandi migrate to work in the brick kilns of south India States for six months a year in distress condition. The male workers migrate with their children and women every year.

Most of the workers, including women, are recruited against monetary advance by local labour contractors who traffic them to far-off locations all over South India, but when they arrive at the worksites, they face many unexpected things like over duty without paying wage, torture, wage-cut and exploitation. As they are taking advance money, they have to keep mum against the employers’ whip.

Shockingly, Sardars (owner of brick kiln) and his supervisors scold women workers and her children in abusive languages and sometimes physically abuse them at the worksites to get more work. If anybody dares to complain against the Sardars, they leave no chance to crack them down.

A similar incident happened in the case of Gayatri who was working at a brick kiln of Dundigal area in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh. The woman from Kalimati village under Komna block in Balangir district was beaten up black and blue by a labour contractor while she and her families reached Kantabanji. Their fault was- they called a social activist over phone regarding their exploitation at worksites.

The social activists rescued them and sent them to Odisha. When they were returning to Bolangir by train, the contractor caught all the four families at Kantabanji and took them to a rice mill to take revenge. After giving torture in a dingy house, they again sold them to a mill owner at Rs 70,000. Later, it was informed to the labour department, but the complaint was not received by the officers.

Finally, with the help of social activists and some local people, they got released and stayed in their village, sources said.

Similarly, Revti Putel of Belpada village under Bongamunda block in Bolangir district committed suicide along with her three children after being pressurised by the owner of an Andhra Pradesh based brick kiln to come to work against the bonded debt.

A woman working at a brick kiln in Karim Nagar of Andhra Pradesh, requesting anonymity, alleged that the supervisors of brick kilns exploit them sexually by threatening them to kill their children and husband. The Sardars even engage fair complexioned girl and good looking minors in household works at the sites away from their parents so that they can persuade the minors to exploit sexually. If the girl tries to complain against the Sardars, she will be thrashed and will be thrown out of the kiln forever, said the woman.

Most of the time, the women workers bear the filthy behaviour and physical exploitation fearing husband’s honour and children’s future, said the woman and added that they are always in tension due to advance money.

Recently, a 12-year-old girl Phula was forcibly kept by a brick kiln owner in his temporary house at the worksite of Karim Nagar district in Andhra Pradesh by beating up girl’s parents. The owner attacked the parents by using goons and then kept the girl for a few days in his temporary house. After intervention of social activists from Odisha, the girl was released from the owner’s clutch in a severe condition. She was shocked after assaulted by the owner, said the woman.

These are just samples of many incidents happening with women and minor girls in various kilns in south India States. The owners of the kilns do not give chance to send the workers children to schools and lure them to engage the children in brick making.

“It is serious violation of child rights and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but our State Government is yet to address the issue in a fruitful manner,” said Lok Shakti Abhiyan president Prafulla Samantara.

According to Raghu Rana, a Bolangir-based activist working in the issue, the brick kiln workers of western Odisha are in a trap of labour contractors working in the districts. “The State Government has no data regarding the status of migrating labourers working in the brick kilns in south India States which is very unfortunate,” he added. A racket of labour contractors is active in the western districts, especially Bolangir, which supplies workers with benefit of thousands of rupees. They usually hand over the workers to the broker of kiln owners and return to Odisha after getting their payment. They trickily lure the workers by paying advance money and persuade them to pay more at the worksites which is false, said the activist.

According to Jan Jagran Dadan Sangh (JJDS) president Khagapati Kumbhar of Khaprakhol area in Bolangir district, he was also a brick kiln worker in Bangalore. He along with his wife and four children were working as bonded labourers. When he wanted to send his children to school, the owners of the brick kiln denied and forced him to engage them in the work.

The labour contractor had promised him to give Rs 350 for making 1,000 bricks, but when he reached there, he got just Rs 150 per 1,000 bricks. They were not getting health facility, proper food and shelter. They were living in a small dingy tent covered by old tarpaulins after working 14-16 hours work, he said.

Many a time, Kumbhar demanded his money from the kiln owner, but he was not getting good response. When he protested at the site, the owner threatened him along with other workers.

Finally, Kumbhar was released with help of the Labour Officer of Bolangir district and activists.

“It is the sorry state of affair that every year around 40,000 children including minor girls migrate from Bolangir district alone to help their parents in the brick kilns,” revealed child rights  activists Santosh Padhy, adding, “They perform all sorts of hazardous works living in perilous conditions and facing exploitations of all kinds, physical, mental and other abuses.”

The labour contractors never register their names in the office of district labour officer fearing they might get caught later if any worker lodges complaint against him. The failure in proper implementation of MGNREGA scheme in the State increases the migration of labourers, alleged the sources.

Reported by me for The Pioneer on October 03, 2013

Slum dwellers cry over denial of amenities

Sikharchandi slum road in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: After getting a call from a slum girl, who is a 9th class student and member of Humara Bachpan club, we reached Sikharchandi slum under Ward no-1 of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The tiny girl, Usharani Patra welcomed us and took us to different places of the slum to show the unhygienic condition, bad roads and waterlogged areas.

She showed a well at cluster-II of Sikharchandi slum and told that despite the water in the well having gone unhygienic; the residents were consuming it and using it for various purposes. “They don’t have proper drinking water facilities though they are living in a big city of the State,” she said.

One of the big problems in the slum was drainage facilities due to which drain water was entering into the houses and a nearby temple of the slum. As the drain water, most of the time, gets deposited near the Trinath temple of cluster-II of the slum, it has resulted in water logging and provided a suitable breeding place to the mosquitoes.

“Every time the sewerage water enters into our homes, we are in for trouble. Our children suffer from various diseases due to the unhygienic condition it creates,” said a slum dweller Raju Reddy, adding, “We have been complaining the BMC about the problem many a time, but nobody is paying heed to our grievances.”

Trinath temple of Sikharchandi slum

Trinath temple campus, a community centre of the street, was filled with water and the Hanuman statue along with the main temple was dipped in water. The stock water on the temple premises could not be channeled out due to lack of drainage facility. Earlier, the drain water was channeled out to an open field, but after the land was covered with a boundary wall, the water just stays put. “During rainy season, the temple is surrounded with water most of the time,” said temple priest Debraj Panigrahy, adding, “Even the road in front of the temple is substandard and mud filled creating many problems, especially for the children crossing the road.”

Another problem is the wells in the street soak water from outside and hence the water in them gets contaminated and unhygienic. Besides, garbage dump at several places in the street has become a headache for the residents using the street, said Usha, while bidding adieu to us.

After talking with street children of Sikharchandi slum, we moved Azad Nagar slum near Lingaraj station of Ward-58 under the BMC. We visited Muslim Basti and met children of the slum.

They cited mostly the same problems including poor amenities, substandard roads and sanitation. The women folk showed us a canal and told the residents were crossing it on a bridge created with a pair of two telephone poles. They said it was risky and at times creates mishaps, but then they have no options.

Azad Nagar slum in Bhubaneswar

“At least the BMC or the State Government should build a small bridge to connect both sides, but nobody is interested to take up the issue,” lamented Asfaq Iqbal.

The youth said most of the time a transformer in the slum failed to supply electricity due to load shedding problem. Around 400 households were facing problems of drinking water and electricity, he added.

BMC mayor Anant Narayan Jena said his office was taking steps to solve most of the problems of the city dwellers. In case of Sikharchandi slum, the BMC would discuss with the people who possess private land near the temple for channeling out the water through a drain, he assured.

Humara Bachpan campaign coordinator Anant Prasad said that 23.1 per cent people of Odisha live in slums and out of that 8.5 lakh defecate openly due to lack of latrine, bath and water facilities. Quoting the 2011 Census data, he said that only 38 per cent of slum houses in the State are in ‘good’ condition. The census gives a picture where children, whose population is 10-15 per cent, are mostly neglected in the State, he added.

“Problem never ends, but it can be solved with right approach. A small initiative can bring smile in the faces of slum children,” said a social activist.

Reported by me for The Pioneer on October 07, 2013

Wave of joy sweeps hilltop hamlet post last Palli Sabha

JARAPA (RAYAGADA): After unanimously rejecting Vedanta’s beleaguered proposal for bauxite mining in Niyamgiri hills in the 12th and last Palli Sabha held in Jarapa hilltop village in Rayagada district on Monday, the Dongria tribals celebrated their victory with joy and exuberance.

Inquilab Sanskrutik Manch, a cultural team of tribal groups, performed traditional dance. They registered their protest in a melodious tone giving a message that they won’t give land, water and forest at any cost to anybody as they worship the hills since ages. Through the song in Kui language, they expressed their anger and concern over the outsiders, who want to displace them by taking away their forests and lands.

They continuously danced around one hour drenched in the rain to mark the celebration. The fellow Dongrias then joined the manch activists.

Dongria women are going to attend last Palli Sabha at Jarapa

A Dongria woman Jakaka Silandu, who participated in the Palli Sabha, said that her community members don’t want to be the servants of thecompany. While enjoying the celebration, she said her community members eke out an independent living by selling forest produces and producing food from the fertile forest land, but it won’t be possible after the hills, if the hills go to the company and the Government.

“Why will we leave our own land for the benefit of an outsider company?” questioned Silandu, adding, “We worship all the hills of Niyamgiri. If anybody wants it, we are ready for a bloody battle.”

Tribal villager Lada Sikaka expressing happiness said that the struggle will till the Niyamgiri villagers get a written assurance from the State and the Central Government that the hills would remain intact.

Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti leader Lingaraj Azad said that the opinions aired by the indigenous people in the Palli Sabhas proved the deep attachment of the tribals with the hills and god Niyamraja. The victory in the Palli Sabhas is just the beginning of a revolution.

“The real celebration is yet to come up. We are waiting for the decision of the Central Government on Niyamgiri’s fate,” said Azad, adding, “Our struggle will continue till we get land, water and forest which are tribals’ right.”

--Published in The Pioneer on August 21, 2013

Hirakud displaced: Nightmare of living sans basic amenities

--Fishermen forced to go for distress sale

BHATLI (BARGARH): The Hirakud Dam, a manmade marvel inaugurated by first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has brought spectacular change in the field of agriculture, industry, education and living standard of the people of the State, but at the same time, it became a malady for the villagers and people who left their home land for the greatest cause of human being.

Due to the project, the villagers were displaced from their home land. They went nearby areas while some of them settled far away from the land. The reservoir brought a few villages a nightmare as they got disconnected from the outside world. The local people had been depending on undivided Sambalpur district and when they became a part of newly born Bargarh district, they lost many benefits they used to get earlier.

Presently, though the displaced people belong to Bargarh district, they are using resources of Jharsuguda district. The nearby village islands of the reservoir are Bhutli, Rengali, Kurumkel, Gobindpur, Launsara, Zarimuli, San-Jampali, Kudokhai, Chhatadei and Bangapali. They come under Uttam panchayat of Ambabhona block in Bargarh district. The villages are covered by forest and water with a population of 2,500.

These cut-off villagers are living without basic facilities. They neither have roads to commute, nor have the luxury to watch a TV. These villages are 50km away from semi urban area Bhatli. The people of the area use local made boat to connect with the mainstream.

Another livelihood problem of the area is tax. Fishermen pay tax to both Jharsuguda and Bargarh district to sell their catches. Even they sell their fish at less than the market price, even as there is a fish cooperative at Tamdei of Uttam Panchayat in the district. Fishermen give `4 per 1 kg as tax for fishing on the reservoir. They sell 10-12 quintals of fish at `30-40 per kg to middlemen of other district. A majority area of the reservoir is in Bargarh district, but the fishermen of Jharsuguda district are a headache for the local fishers.

They come in dark night and leave the reservoir with a good catch before the locals enter. Because of the communication problem, the fishermen are bound to sell their fish at Thekra Cooperative of Jharsuguda district. They hire boat at `300 to cross the reservoir which is very costly, said a fisherman.

These isolated areas are situated at a distance of 18km from their panchayat. It takes a day to return from the Panchayat headquarters after taking their respective quota of Re 1 per kg rice because of vast forest and water surrounded area. They don’t have land property to use for farming. They don’t have electricity, water, sanitation and other emergency facilities.

The people of these villages are hard working. They fight with nature every moment to eke out a living. The women and children also operate boat and help in fishing. When fishermen cannot market their good catch, women dry the fishes.

Reported by me for The Pioneer on September 19, 2013