Kendrapara workers from Odisha unreachable to families for a week; feared trapped in Kerala floods

As many as 3,000 persons from Kendrapara work in Kerala either as plumbers or in plywood factories.

A photograph of workers using plywood planks to reach high land in Perumbvoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala sent by Hemant Malla to this paper.

KENDARPARA (ODISHA):  Minati Malla (28) of Bagapatia village under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara district has not slept since the news of severe floods in Kerala broke. Her husband Hemant Malla is stranded in the southern State without food and water and there is no way she can contact him. “When I spoke to him last week, he said the situation was grave,” she said. In Kanhupur, Sridhar Mallick (65) also spoke to his son Sadananda, who works in a plywood factory at Ernakulam, on last Saturday. “He told me that many people in the locality close to where he works have died in the flood,” said Sridhar.

Minati and Sridhar are not alone who have remained out of touch with their relatives working in various places of Kerala. As many as 3,000 persons from Kendrapara work in the southern State either as plumbers or in plywood factories. Hemant Malla of Bagapatia village works in a plywood factory at Perumbvoor in Ernakulam district. Speaking to this paper, he said Perumbvoor faced deluge on Wednesday. “The company that I work for is currently under 10 ft water.

We managed to save our lives by reaching a high area with the help of plywood planks. We do not have food to eat. There are hundreds of Odias here who are trapped in the flood water. Please give my mobile number (9567888747) to the officials concerned in Odisha and urge them to save us,” he appealed. His co-worker, Sashikanta Rout of Bagapatia village, said there are many hungry and thirsty Odias but no one has brought food and relief to them. Akshya Parida (65) of Magarakandha village here is eagerly waiting for some news about his son Amit Parida, who also works in a plywood factory.

“I have been trying to contact him from last week but there is no news about him. His life may be in danger,” said Parida. Contacted, Additional District Magistrate Basant Kumar Rout said he has not received any information about Kendrapara workers stranded in Kerala so far. Only after getting specific information from family members of these persons, the State Government can take steps to rescue them, he said.