KENDRAPARA: Families in several villages of Kendrapara district are worried about the safety of their relatives who are working as plumbers in Nepal following the devastating flash floods in the Himalayan country.
Balaram Mohanty (72) of Belatala village under Pattamundai block is anxiously following television reports on the floods in northern Nepal. His son Bikash Mohanty (42) has been working as a plumber in Kathmandu for the past 15 years and lives there with his wife and children.
“The footage of the devastation leaves my heart pounding with fear and anxiety. My son and daughter-in-law Madhumita spoke to me on Thursday and told me that the situation in Nepal was grave. We are now praying for their safety,” said Balaram.
Speaking to this newspaper over phone from Kathmandu, Bikash said several people had died in the flash floods. He also informed that many plumbers from Kendrapara worked in different parts of Nepal.
“A frantic search is underway for people believed to be missing in the catastrophic flash floods. We suspect some plumbers from Kendrapara may also be missing, but we cannot name them at present. I have assured my parents not to worry about me and my family,” he said.
Similarly, Sasmita Swain of Khadipal village in Pattamundai is also worried about her brother Bikash Swain, who has been working as a plumber in Nepal for the past 10 years. “I spoke to my brother on Friday and he told me that he was safe in Kathmandu. But many people in northern Nepal have died in the flash floods,” she said.
Reportedly, Deepak Swain, Prasant Swain and a few others from Khadipal village are also working as plumbers in Nepal.
Debashis Mohanty, a plumber from Balipatna village in Pattamundai who also works in Kathmandu, said around 2,000 plumbers from Kendrapara district are working in Nepal.
According to Mohanty, floodwaters surged through Bhote Koshi River, causing widespread destruction in Timure in Rasuwa district and the nearby Syafrubesi area. Timure, a border town and trading hub, has a sizable presence of Odia workers. “Timure is completely gone and nothing is left. We fear the worst for Odia plumbers working there,” he said.
Assistant district labour officer (DLO), Kendrapara Ashok Murmu acknowledged that many plumbers from the district work in Nepal and several other countries. “However, we have not received any information about the plight of workers from the district in Nepal so far,” he said.