BHUBANESWAR: Moved by the suffering of people in Ganjam district, Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik became emotional during his visit to cyclone Arnab-induced flood-affected areas on Saturday.
He was visibly moved as locals recounted how floodwaters had engulfed their homes, destroyed their crops and belongings, and devastated their livelihoods. “Several cyclones have battered southern Odisha over the years, but I have never witnessed devastation of such magnitude,” Naveen said as people gathered to narrate their ordeal.
The BJD president visited four flood-hit blocks — Sheragada, Hinjilicut, Aska and Sorada. Thousands gathered at Sheragada to welcome Naveen and draw his attention to their problems. The administration had to put up barricades to manage the crowd. Several farmers carried rotten and damaged paddy plants to show him the extent of crop losses. They explained how floodwaters had submerged their fields, destroyed standing crops and threatened their livelihoods. People also apprised him of the damage to houses, roads and other infrastructure caused by the cyclone and subsequent floods.
Naveen expressed concern over the handling of the flood situation and alleged shortcomings in the government's disaster management response. He demanded that the government ensure the prompt distribution of relief materials, assess the damage without delay and extend adequate assistance to all affected households. Naveen has represented the Hinjili Assembly constituency for six consecutive terms since 2000, making the visit particularly significant for his political base.
He said a large number of people had suffered serious losses and that the government needed to adopt a more proactive approach to address their problems.
“I have witnessed the suffering of flood-affected families and farmers during my visit to four affected blocks, including my own constituency, Hinjili. People are passing through extremely difficult times and need immediate assistance. I appeal to the state government to provide adequate compensation to affected farmers and relief to flood-hit families. Their suffering should not be ignored under any circumstances,” Naveen said at Sheragada.
After Sheragada, he visited Nuaburupada gram panchayat in Hinjilicut block and later travelled to Aska and Baligochha areas in Sorada block. In Aska, he visited Kotinada near Aska Science College and other affected areas, where he interacted with farmers and families and took stock of the damage to agricultural land and local infrastructure.
The BJD president has been monitoring the flood situation in Ganjam and Gajapati districts since the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red warning for heavy rainfall in Ganjam on October 23. He was also in touch with the Ganjam Collector, said party media coordinator Priyabrata Majhi.
During the visit, traders' associations in Aska and Sheragada submitted memoranda to Naveen detailing their losses. Several senior BJD leaders, including Debi Prasad Mishra, Pratap Jena, Usha Devi, Bikram Panda, Chandrasekhar Sahu, Ramesh Chandra Chyaupatnaik and Bhrugu Baxipatra, accompanied him during the visit.
The floods have caused extensive damage across several parts of Ganjam, with large tracts of agricultural land inundated following heavy rainfall triggered by cyclone Arnab. The Rushikulya and Bada river basins witnessed severe flooding, affecting Aska, Sorada, Bhanjanagar, Hinjili and several other blocks of the district.