Cyclone Titli aftermath: Odisha's Ganjam villages continue to suffer
BERHAMPUR: Even as normalcy has returned to most urban areas of Ganjam district except Aska, people in villages continue to suffer in the aftermath of cyclone Titli that ravaged the district recently.
READ: Flood water recedes in Southern Odisha, toll mounts to 24
While carcasses of dead animals were lying scattered on the village streets, paddy, sugarcane and vegetable crops on hundreds of acres of land still remain submerged. The district administration has been providing cooked food to the affected people in the villages but they badly need safe drinking water, communication facility, healthcare and electricity.
The flood claimed the life of one Mitu Dora of Nuagada village in Soroda block, who was washed away in Rushikulya river. The deceased’s body is yet to be found. Meanwhile, five ministers visited different the affected areas of the district on Monday. While Surya Narayana Patro visited some affected villages of Digapahandi block, Bikram Keshari Arukh reviewed the ongoing restoration work at Bhanjanagar.
Similarly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty, Water Resources Minister Niranjan Pujari and Energy Minister Susant Singh accompanied by MPs and legislators of the district visited the worst-affected Aska and Soroda blocks.
After visiting the areas, they reviewed the restoration work and assured all possible assistance to the victims. They also directed the local administration to prepare the loss report at the earliest and to initiate measures to evict encroachment on Tipisara nullah in Aska town, which was blocked due to inflow of flood water from Rushikulya and Badanadi.
At Soroda, the ministers asked the officials to provide all possible assistance to the victims and assured `4 lakh each to the next of kin of those who died in the floods. Meanwhile, close on the heels of different Opposition parties, Dakhin Odisha Unnayan Parishad blamed the State Government for its failure in addressing the natural calamity.
Rabi Ratha, the convenor of the parishad, said despite State Government’s claims of ensuring zero casualty, 30 persons have died in Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada districts. He said relief material has not reached the affected areas even as three days have passed since cyclone Titli hit the State.