Odisha floods: 48 free kitchens, yet the marooned have no food

BALASORE: Even as the water level in the Subarnarekha river has started receding, hundreds of families marooned in the villages under Bishnupur gram panchayat, are in a plight with no relief and food reaching them so far.

“More than 142 families are still surrounded by water for the past three days. Neither the district administration nor any local politician has reached the village to see our suffering,” said a local of Nayabali village, Markada Dalei. Paddy, rice and flattened rice that Dalei had bought earlier are all damaged in the floods as he was unable to shift to a safer location.

The villages of Nayabali, Ikidpal, Rashalpur, Bishnupur and Raoutra under Bishnupur GP are the worst affected. “We came to Baliapal by boat and brought drinking water along with us. The pipeline water supply by the RWSS is unable to reach the residents as power supply was disconnected before flood water entered the GP,” said locals Sanjay Kar and Narayan Jena.

Another flood victim Minati Sethy claimed that no relief material has reached her yet. “I have been surviving on watered rice for a couple of days but now am unable to cook as dry woods are submerged in water. There is no LPG facility available near my house too,” she said.

Balasore Collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde informed that though the water level in Subarnarekha river has started receding and as many as 15,451 people are in 60 shelters of Bhograi, Jaleswar, Basta, Balasore Sadar and Remuna blocks, around 29 GPs are still marooned since Tuesday.

“Around 48 free kitchens are providing dry and cooked food to the affected. The cluster-level officers have been deployed to take stock of the situation. Revenue, horticulture and block departments have already begun assessing the damage and it is expected to be complete within the next two days. A review meeting regarding the flood will be conducted on Wednesday,” informed Shinde.