Rains compound calamity victims’ miseries

An old lady sitting in front of her damaged house

--Homeless, starving people left in lurch

BHUBANESWAR: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that heavy to very heavy rain fall may occur at one or two places over the districts of south Odisha, while heavy rain fall would occur at one or two places over the districts of north Odisha during next 48 hours due to a well marked low pressure over southwest Bay of Bengal. Till October 25, heavy rainfall would occur in south and north Odisha which are recently affected by cyclone and flood.

The news has created panic among the cyclone and flood affected people of the State. Especially, the people who lost their homes in the twin disaster after Phailin hit Odisha coast on October 12 are living in fear and anxiety. The question is: Where they will live if rain lashes the State?

Notably, 5, 41,200 houses in 17 districts have been damaged in twin disaster out of which around two lakh houses completely destroyed. Homeless people of cyclone affected districts including Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Gajapati and other areas are in distress after the cyclone. They fear that the low pressure rain would damage their weak walls.

Most of the people alleged that they have not received polythene to cover their damaged house, though the district administrations of these respective districts claimed that they had supplied polythene and relief material adequately.

The people of the flood affected districts, including Mayurbhanj, Baleswar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Puri, Khurda and Ganjam are in greater danger as the low pressure may compound their miseries further. Hundreds of people are staying by roads as they lost their houses in flood in these districts. The local administrations have failed to supply polythene and tarpaulins to most of the flood ravaged people. “I lost my house in the flood. My family is in problem, but I

didn’t get any help from the State Government,” said Purnachandra Pradhan of Charada village of Basta block in Baleswar district.

Another villager Upendra Maharana said that they are in panic after they knew that anther low pressure rain would occur in north Odisha also. “How can may family live under open sky,” he lamented.

According to reports, many parts of the State including Ganjam, Baleswar, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack received rainfall on Monday and Tuesday last.

Published on October 23, 2013 in The Pioneer