KENDRAPARA: After days of inundation, floodwaters began receding across flood-hit areas of Kendrapara on Sunday even as hundreds of residents in several riverside villages of Aul, Rajkanika and Pattamundai blocks continued to remain marooned without adequate food, drinking water and medicines.
Villages under Alapua, Penthapala, Amrutamohani, Andara, Nilakanthapur, Damarapur, Taradipal, Singhgaon and Srirampur gram panchayats in Pattamundai; Dimiripala, Juania, Argal, Palimi, Earadanga, Petapada, Mangarajpur, Narendrapur, Eakamania and Gobindapur in Aul; and Pradhanpada, Habalaganda, Tarasa, Jayanagar, Baradia, Trilokpur and Siko in Rajkanika remained submerged with residents awaiting relief.
Road connectivity has also been badly disrupted in many flood-affected areas. With roads either submerged or damaged by floodwaters, villagers are relying on makeshift rafts to reach safer locations.
The situation is particularly grim in villages under Penthapala panchayat where houses continue to remain partially submerged. “Hundreds of houses are still partially submerged, leaving many families stranded,” said Anapurna Sethi, sarpanch of Penthapala.
Several displaced families have taken shelter on rooftops or temporary huts made of bamboo and polythene sheets along river embankments and in elevated areas. Although the government has claimed that relief supplies have reached affected families, residents of several inundated villages alleged they are yet to receive any assistance.
“Our village is completely submerged. So are dozens of surrounding villages. Most people have left, but some have stayed back to protect their properties. We are desperately waiting for food supplies as too many people are hungry and thirsty,” said Balabhadra Rout (61) of Baradia village in Rajkanika block.
Similarly, Swadhin Pradhan (43) of Petapada village in Aul said villagers continue to endure severe hardship even five days after the deluge. “The whole village is under water. We have no food, our houses remain submerged and we are using banana rafts to reach the mainland as officials are yet to provide boats,” he said.
Kendrapada collector Raghuram R Iyer said around 88,793 people from 170 villages across Aul, Pattamundai, Rajkanika, Garadapur, Rajnagar, Mahakalapada and Derabisi blocks, along with 11 wards of Pattamundai municipality, have been affected by the floods.
He said water has started receding in several villages, though many low-lying areas remain marooned. “At least 115 village roads are still under water. We have deployed 99 boats for rescue and relief operations across the district,” the collector added.
