BERHAMPUR: From murders, encounters, sorcery deaths, Maoist violence to the destruction caused by cyclone Titli and the subsequent floods, South Odisha witnessed many forgettable incidents in 2018.
A number of innocent tribals were killed by Maoists in Malkangiri and Kandhamal districts in the name of police informers, evoking sharp reaction from the public. Kandhamal hogged the limelight as the rebels repeatedly proved their presence in the district.
Exposing the sorry state of health care, several incidents of women giving birth on roads were reported in Rayagada, Kandhamal and Ganjam districts. Besides, instances of pregnant women and patients being carried on slings in Ganjam, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Kandhamal also caused huge outcry in the region.
A series of heinous crimes including gang-rapes and rapes were also reported in Ganjam. Several dreaded criminals were arrested after encounters in the district. As per reports, 16 criminals were injured and two died in police encounters.
Similarly, as many as six persons of Ganjam were killed in a stone quarry explosion in Andhra Pradesh.
The district also witnessed several elephant deaths and murder of political leaders in the year.
The region witnessed large scale destruction due to cyclone Titli in October. The cyclone killed more than 30 persons in Ganjam and Gajapati and affected thousands of farmers.
However, there was something to cheer for the cops in 2018. The anti-corruption department of southern division achieved major success by nabbing several Government officials who had amassed disproportionate assets. Several Maoists and their sympathisers surrendered in the southern districts while security forces seized a good amount of explosives from the Naxals.
This apart, illegal cannabis cultivation on hundreds of hectares of land were destroyed by the cops in Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Gajapati.
2018 was an eventful year for political parties as many leaders of Congress, BJP and Left joined the ruling BJD. Several important projects were also launched in the region by the State Government.