CUTTACK: At least 69 villages have been marooned by floodwater in Mahanga block of Cuttack district as Gobari, Maijara and Sukanai rivulets continue to wreak havoc. Floodwaters have submerged several villages in 27 panchayats affecting around 9,500 people.
The worst-affected panchayats are Paikarapur, Jaleswarpur, Chahapada and Nrutanga where the villages have been reeling from knee to chest-deep water. Incessant rain upstream of the Mahanadi river system has triggered flash floods in the rivulets, officials said.
On the other hand, the local administration has failed to reach out to the affected people leading to widespread discontentment among them. Irked over the lack of preparation by the administration, the marooned villagers of Gangapur, Kanhupur and Jaleswarpur on Friday, September 17, 2021, staged road blockade near Mahanga tehsil demanding relief and polythene sheets.
With connecting roads remaining inundated, these villagers are unable to come out to arrange food for themselves. They alleged that no government official has visited them so far and flood victims are without food and drinking water for the last four days. Most of the kutcha houses in Barabati village have been submerged in floodwater.
While the village lacks a school building forcing them to take shelter in neighbour’s building, the local administration is yet to shift them to a safer place, alleged Behera. Similarly, there is an acute shortage of drinking water as most of the tubewells have submerged. The homeless people are yet to avail any relief from the administration, said another villager Prasant Mishra while blaming the Water Resources department for the situation.
Mahanga BDO Nihar Ranjan Mallik, however, refuted the allegations and said while dry foods have been provided for two days, free cooked food is being served to the affected people.