Flood fury in Orissa
By Sudarshan Chhotoray in Bhubaneswar

The communal cauldron over Kandhamal is yet to be defused. Orissa is again in the news, this time, for nature’s fury. The unprecedented flood of rare severity after 1982 over Mahanadi basin has affected more than half of the districts and millions rendered homeless.

Thirty- two years old Sk. Sharrudhin, a resident of Siriapur Padasahi under Pipili town in Puri District walks down in water along with his five members’ family, only to show that his thatched house has collapsed with all his household items, personal belongings, School books of his two children and a Bank pass book. His wife and children were, following, where he goes, seen in watchful eyes.

Sharrudhin, a driver by profession who lost his livelihood only to be with his family, now has found a place of few yards there about 300 meters away from his home, on the Bhubaneswar- Puri, National Highway where he has put up few bamboo sticks to construct a makeshift hut with tarpaulin cover.

Sharrudhin is among other five thousand people of 30 villages who have been sheltering in temporary camps on the pathways of Bhubaneswar-Puri, National Highway waiting since last five days for relief and watching the level of water flow.

All of them are the victims of severe flood that lashed Orissa for three quite days since 17th of this month, caused due to incessant rains and deep depression in Bay of Bengal followed by the rise of water level in Hirakud dam and subsequent flow of water above danger level in Mahanadi and its tributaries.

This flood of rare severity has caused havoc in 5321 villages of 1443 grampanchayats under 129 blocks and 44 towns spread over 18 districts. The flood has caused the death of 48 persons and has marooned 39.53 lakh people. More than 43.30 lakh hectors of crop area have been damaged and 8370 hectors of crop have been in sand cast.

According to the Special Relief Commissioner, till date 3, 05,993 persons have been evacuated; emergency relief is being provided to 2.60 lakh people. Government is running 472 free kitchens, 1429 rescue boats, Army, Navy and Paramilitary personals are pressed into service.

Though government has ordered for 15 days of relief and has asked the Sarapanchs of village gram panchayats to provide cooked food to the victims, but the story in field is quite different. While speaking to this correspondent Sukant Parida, a ward member of Adhangapada village questioned, “When the entire village and Panchayat office are inundated with flood water, how can it be possible to have cooked food in the village”.

Similarly, Yudhistir Das of Padmakahir village, under Puri district, who was earning his livelihood as construction worker complains, “just leave me, nearly five hundred families in an around our village were depending on betel vine, now they have lost everything how can they rebuilt their houses, get their livelihood restored”.

Surekha Sahoo, 55, an old woman with the burden of her 8 members strong family, was starring at a army helicopter drooping food packets in her village, says, “Babu, for God’s grace, we came here on that fateful day of last Friday night, when we noticed water is entering in our village from the river Bhargabi, but till today we have not been provided by any government relief, only few people like you are distributing some food items”. Surekha is among 100 other families are staying in a temporary hut set there by villagers at Teisipur.

Teisipur is along Puri- Bhubaneswar highway that has been breached, making way for an artificial river. Both Puri and Konark two pilgrimage centers have been cut off from the rest of the world.

All these happened following the creation of a breach along the river Bhargavi near Phulpal village under Khurda district. Local villager Surendra Sahoo reminded, “The threat from Bhargabi was imminent, that’s why we had taken up this issue several times with local irrigation engineers, but to our utter surprise, there was no headway, otherwise flood in a measure part of Puri and Khurda could have been averted”.

Experts in their opinion expressed their grave dismay of the way government responded the flood. Government should have little precautions seeing the magnitude of heavy rains and deep depression. They further alleged without apprehending the loss, it would cause, government in haste opened 46 gates of Hirakud dam which has of 630 ft. height high danger level.

According to Pradip Pradhan, Secretary, Orissa Disaster Mitigation Mission (ODMM) an NGO body, “still lakhs of people are suffering with no food, no water and no room to live in five worst affected districts of Kendrapara, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Puri”. He further added government relief is reaching to people who are well connected; government should involve NGOs in relief operations.

500 crore Central assistance

Mean while, Government of Orissa has estimated a loss of 2454 crores and has sought a central assistance of at least 1500 crores from National Calamity Relief Fund, besides the grant of 2 lakhs Indira Awas Yojana houses through a memorandum submitted to Union Home Minister Shivaraj V. Patil, who had an aerial survey of flood affected districts on 23rd September. Chief Minister of Orissa Navin Patnaik used this occasion to reiterate his demand to declare Orissa flood as a National Calamity”.

Describing the flood in Orissa a rare severity chief minister told Orissa had never witnessed such a flood during the last 3 decades.

However, Orissa has always complained of the step motherly attitude of the union government. Just days before Mr. Shivaraj V. Patil's arrival chief minister Navin Patnaik had expressed his disappointment over ignorance of central government to Orissa flood. While Bihar got 1000 crores immediately and both Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson visited, then why Orissa was left behind? Political observers feel, this spat will continue as union home minister had down played the genuine demand of Orissa, just describing the recent flood, “ a big disaster has taken place and damaged done with”.
Leader of opposition Mr. L. K. Advani, who had also had an aerial survey on 24th September, told reporters that Union government should sincerely assist state governments in their days of sorrow. Advani had supported Orissa’s demand to declare “the Orissa floods as a National Calamity”.

Even though, the floodwater in Mahanadi and other rivers are receding; the damage caused by 97 canal breaches and river embankments have led the water to new areas, creating artificial rivers and has further worsened the plight of flood victims in Orissa.