No relief for Ganjam hilly villagers from lone rough road

--Not repaired properly; authorities churlish

BRAHMAPUR: For the villagers of Podagada, Jhatipadar, N Barapalli and Raghunathpur under Ramagarh gram panchayat in Ganjam block, a good motorable road is still a far cry. Except a three-km-long slush road, the villages surrounded by mountains have no other alternative roads to connect to the National Highway-5 at Palur Junction, 37 km away from here.

Around 4,000 villagers depend on the road which was in precarious condition. The rural road has become a headache for the people of these villages as it has hundreds of potholes and substandard works of stone chips making the road a hell for commuters. According to villager Rabi Narayan Pradhan of Jhatipadar, a portion of the shoddy mud road had been constructed in 2002 after several years of struggle. Surprisingly, the constructed portion had become rough after two years, he added.

Again a contractor got the road tender and had started repairing another portion of the road. “We were happy about the construction of the road, but after a few days of the work, the contractor left it halfway by only scattering black stone chips on the road,” said a villager of Podagada. “Anyhow the road was manageable to commute before construction, but after this it became rough to very rough. The strong black stone chips scattered all over the road starting from its beginning to the end created problems for vehicles and commuters,” said Duryodhan Sahu of Podagada village.

Youths from the villages said the hired auto-rickshaws or cars take more money to come to their villages only for the deadly road. “If we hire vehicles like auto-rickshaw or taxi at night, some of them don’t come fearing the road’s condition,” said Basanta Pallai of Podagada.

“Some children and elderly persons of the four villages got injured in accidents which took place on this road,” said an old woman of N Barapalli village and added that the ambulance take almost double time to cross the road while taking a patient to a hospital. “It’s horrible to drive the vehicles on this road. We always pray god while taking a heart patient to the hospital,” said an auto-rickshaw driver Golak Kumar Sahu.

Pradhan said the State Government with the help the World Bank had sanctioned a multi-purpose cyclone shelter along with an all weather road to Podagada and Jhatipadar a few years back. The cyclone shelter work has been completed, but the road work is yet to be started, he added.

“We have been demanding for the construction of the road, but nobody is paying heed to our demands,” said Duryodhan, adding, “When we asked Executive Engineer (RW-II Division, Brahmapur) about status of the road, he informed us that a contractor had challenged the tender process in the court as a result of which the work was not taking off.” When contacted, Engineer-in-Chief (Civil) got angry and pleaded not to disturb him for a silly matter.

The story was published in The Pioneer English daily on November 6, 2014  

Revisiting cyclonic storm Phailin

Twin disaster after Phailin hit Odisha hard

Cover story for The Pioneer, October 18, 2013

When Odisha was trying to stand straight after 1999 super cyclone that battered the State badly and had claimed over 10,000 lives, the recent twin disaster (cyclone and flood) after Phailin hit Odisha coast on October 12 night shook the backbones of people of the State. Though the State Government’s well preparedness saved lakhs of lives, but the livelihood of Odias and infrastructure of the State would take years for reconstruction. Hemanta Kumar Pradhan gives a picture of Phailin affected Odisha.

--The cyclonic storm known as Phailin was the deadliest storm after Super Cyclone in the Bay of Bengal that hit Odisha Coast on October 29 in 1999. 

A deep depression formed over the Bay of Bengal on October 8 crossed the Andaman Islands near Mayabandar on October 9 and it strengthened into a cyclonic storm. Then it gradually gained speed and turned into a severe cyclonic storm the very next day. As it gathered speed, it later became a very severe cyclonic storm on October 11 and made landfall at Gopalpur in Odisha at 9 pm on October 12 with a maximum sustaining speed of 210-220 kmph gusting to 240 kmph along and off districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Kendrapara of coastal Odisha. 

According to prediction of the Indian Meterological Department (IMD), Phailin hit the coastal areas the hardest and indulged in the dance of destruction. Due to the effect storm surge with height of 3.0 to 3.5 metre above astronomical tide entered low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of the State during landfall. Even water from the Chilika Lake entered several villages situated at the bank of the largest brackish water lake of Asia during the cyclone. Phailin caused heavy-to-extreme damages in its path of destruction by uprooting trees, destroying kutcha and asbestos houses, telephone towers, electric poles and transformers, standing crops, fishermen boats and fishing equipment and roadside vending shops. Many pucca houses were also damaged when uprooted trees fell down on it.

It was a sigh of relief for the State Government that human casualties could be minimised due to large scale evacuation of people from coastal districts which is believed as world’s largest evacuation. The massive evacuation was undertaken by administration, field officers, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Naval and Army personnel. Before hitting of cyclone all people from vulnerable areas were evacuated for which the human causality could be minimised to 21. Near about 9.84 lakh people had been evacuated to flood and cyclone centers in the affected districts, said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Surya Narayan Patro.

As per preliminary estimation, 26 lakh trees have been destroyed in the State by the cyclone. As Ganjam district was in the eye of the Phailin, near about 2.4 lakh kachha houses and 2.68 lakh hectares of crops in the district alone have been damaged, said District Collector Dr Krishan Kumar. Schools were severely damaged in the district, he added. 

Official sources estimated the loss at more than Rs 3,400 crore in this district alone. Power infrastructure has been damaged to a great extent at the tune of Rs 900 crore. The entire power infrastructure is totally lost, the Narendrapur Grid, which provides power to five districts, has been damaged severely, said State Energy Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena.

South Odisha’s big city Brahmapur city and nerve centre of education Berhampur University was devastated in storm. Ganjam and various places of its neighbouring districts have been spending life without electricity. It would take three weeks to restore electricity in Brahmapur city, but the rural areas of the affected districts would take more than a month, said Jena.    

One of the most serious problems is huge loss of livelihood. Fishermen of cyclone affected coastal districts including Ganjam, Puri and Khurda lost their boats, fishing nets and catamarans along with their houses. Farmers lost standing crop, betel vine yards, sugarcane, salt farming, kewda grooves and horticulture crops including mango, coconuts and huge cashew plants. “I lost all the cashew plants of my two-acre groove. It shattered my hope to run my family,” said a farmer Gaura Pradhan of Podagada village in Ganjam district.

“I lost my fishing boat, nets during the storm. It left me in a heap of loan and I have to go Tamilnadu in search of labour work to feed my two children,” said Ch Sathiaga of Podampetta village of Ganjam district. 

After devastating coastal districts, cyclonic storm Phailin created flood in North Odisha. Due to the effect of Phailin, heavy down pour occurred at upper areas of Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha, Brahmani and Baitarani and a few small rivers in North Odisha which created flood and inundated Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar and a few areas of Kendrapada, Puri, Khurda and Ganjam. Surprisingly, North Odisha town Baripada engulfed with water, while Baleswar district was severely affected in the flood. Most of the villages of Bhograi, Baliapal, Remuna, Jaleswar and Basta block were submerged in flood water. The condition of these people worsened when water not receded for consecutive three days. 

The relief team failed to enter the cut-off areas. The State Government, who was not allegedly prepared for a sudden flood due to effect of the Phailin, faced a lot of problems and engaged Airforce team to airdrop relief materials. Meanwhile, the administration rescued many people from the flood affected areas by Navy, NDRF and ODRAF personnel. 

In Mayurbhanj, people agitated against the Government for not providing relief materials. In Baleswar and Ganjam district also people expressed anger against the State Government for not supplying relief in time. Relief supply was a difficult task for the State due to lack of enough relief material with the State.  

Though the State Government was lauded by the United Nations Organisation (UNO), World Bank, national and international bodies for successful tackling cyclonic storm Phailin, preparedness for flood a day after the storm exposed Government’s lack of attentiveness. 

Opposition parties criticised the Government for not supplying adequate relief materials and assistance. Thousands of flood affected people stayed at the roadsides in miserable condition. The people could not get drinking water and food materials in time. In some districts were running out of dry foods available with the administration. Poor people were shocked after witnessing their houses washed away in front of them.

“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 fear when they knew that low pressure rain would occur in North Odisha also. “How can I live under open sky,” he lamented.

Though the detailed report is yet to come, preliminary estimation said the twin calamity of cyclone and the resultant floods affected over 1.24 crore people of 17 districts of the State as more than 11.54 lakh people were evacuated to safe places, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Mohapatra said. Cost of total damage was estimated at around Rs 14,500 crore, said the officials.

Due to heavy flood, 27 people died and about 11 lakh hectares of standing crop has been damaged as flood water stayed more than seven days. Near about 5, 41,200 houses in 17 districts have been damaged in twin disaster and out of which around two lakh houses completely destroyed. Around 1500 big domestic animal, 3002 small domestic animals and 1, 71,000 fowls died in the calamities.

Infrastructure including all type of roads, bridges, schools, irrigation projects, drainage channels, canals, community centres and dams were severely damaged in the twin calamities. Preliminary estimation said 5,825 schools have been affected as a result school may take more time to open, sources said. Fishermen have received heavy loss as 10,126 shrimp and fish hatchery, 6209 boats and 9622 fishing nets have been affected in cyclone and flood, official sources said.    

Due to Phailin, official sources said, power connection lost to 45,960 villages. Though the State Government has restored many villages, over 21,000 villages are still in dark. Energy Minister Arun Sahoo said that as many as 222 Feeder line had been damaged, four lakh poles were completely broken or uprooted. In Berhampur area (severely affected by cyclone) as many as 20,000 poles have been damaged, he said.

Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami visited the State on October 20 and reviewed the situation. The State Government submitted a memorandum incorporating the details of damage due to the twin calamity to the Union Government seeking an estimated Rs 4,242.41 crore assistance towards restoration of damaged infrastructure and other assistance. Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking a preliminary assistance of Rs 1523 crore to expedite relief and restoration work.

It’s not the end of the story. Another flood was waiting for the twin disaster hit Odisha. Under the influence of a well marked low pressure over south coastal Andhra Pradesh adjoining West Central Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood, rain battered the State from October 22 to 27 which caused flood in several districts of the State.

Due to the fresh flood, near about 81.30 lakh of 10,722 villages in 13 districts (Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj, Baleswar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur) have been affected. Around 1.98 lakh hectares of crop area has been affected and 4.07 lakh houses have been damaged due to incessant rain and resultant flood. Total 15 people died in the flood, while 1.91 lakh people were evacuated from the affected areas by the State Government.

Fully devastated Ganjam during cyclone became worst hit due to the flood. Near about 22 lakh people have been affected in the calamity. Rain water overflowed on the railway track passing through the district. Eleven rivers in the district witnessed water crossing danger level. Most of the low-lying areas in Berhampur city submerged.

Again the State Government on October 28 submitted a supplementary memorandum to the Union Government seeking Rs 1,590.09 crore of additional assistance out of the National Disaster Relief Fund required for relief and restoration measures, particularly in the flood-hit districts. The memorandum was handed over to Joint Secretary of Union Home Ministry Rashmi Goel who is heading an Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) of nine members to assess the loss due to cyclone and floods in the State.

Most of the political and social organisations raised eyebrow on the Central Government for not sanctioning a single pie to continue relief and restoration work in spite of the State Government’s request.

After two harrowing weeks, sky cleared and sun shined in the affected areas. The hard working people were trying to repair their houses at least to see their children safe. No doubt the damaged houses could be built and the crop could be raised, but the wound may take years to heal.

   

  

Landless freedom fighter yet to get land from State

BHUBANESWAR: A man, who helped us get our motherland back from tyrant Englishmen and spent horrible moments in jails with a smile, is now running from pillar to post to get a small piece of land under the freedom fighter quota from the State Government.

Born in 1921 at Kesharpur village of Kendrapada district, freedom fighter Sukadev Sahu is in the last stage of his life. Inspired by the patriotic speeches, he had joined the freedom movement in 1941 and was arrested during the movement. He had spent many days in the jail and the rest is history.

Das, a landless freedom fighter, had requested the President of India in 2010 to provide a piece of land. The President’s office had communicated the letter to the Union Home Ministry and directed to take appropriate action at their end. The Ministry on February 11, 2010, wrote to the Chief Secretary of Odisha to process the request.

On May 26, 2010, the Revenue and Disaster Management department had written a letter to the District Collector, Khordha to take appropriate action as per rule. Even the department had sent a copy of the letter to Sahu as directed by the Union Home Ministry.

Four years have already passed, but the Khordha Collector is yet to give any response in the matter. “The Collector is sitting over the file during these years without taking any action on the letter,” said Sahu’s son Satyanarayan.

The freedom fighter’s son said his father has already given five letters to the Collector to look into the matter, but they don’t get any response. “My father has all the valid documents including citations and identity cards given by the Centre and the State. The President, the Union Home Ministry and the State Government had directed the Collector to process my father’s request, but no action has been taken into the matter,” said Satyanarayan, adding, “It seems the administration is indirectly neglecting us.”

He said the State Government has allotted several plots, flats and land in favour of corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, influential persons and their relatives, but it didn’t have time to process the letter of a freedom fighter.

India got freedom and the nation marched ahead with the times, but the country seldom thinks about the sacrifices of so many people participated in the movement. The country in general and the State in particular remember the names of the heroes only on the Independence Day by felicitating with citations, he lamented.

The story was published in The Pioneer English daily on August 14, 2014

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