By Jatindra Dash and Hemanta Kumar Rout, IANS
Bhubaneswar/Balasore : With all the three major rivers in northern Orissa remaining in spate, the flood situation in the coastal district of Balasore remained grim for the second consecutive day Monday leaving tens of thousands of people starving.
The floods triggered by heavy rains after a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal have affected the four districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada and Balasore, which has been the affected the worst.
Balasore district has witnessed the fourth flood within the last one and a half months as the Subarnarekha, Jalaka and Kansabansa rivers overflowed.
However, many complained the state government was not up to the mark in meeting the grave situation.
“Ask collectors,” Orissa special relief commissioner Nikunja Sunderray, who heads the relief and rescue team in the state, said when asked how many people were affected by the latest floods.
“Floods have been a regular phenomenon in northern parts of Balasore. But neither the state government nor the district authorities are showing any concern towards the plight of the flood victims. Over two lakh (200,000) people are starving since Sunday,” district congress president Jaynarayan Mohanty told IANS.
All three rivers were flowing above the danger level Monday evening and could rise further due to rains in upper catchments areas, he said.
Nearly 700,000 people in the district’s seven blocks – Bhogarai, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal, Sadar, Soro and Simulia – have been affected, but the district administration has no detailed information about the situation, he alleged.
“Floodwaters have inundated hundreds of villages in all north Balasore blocks, but besides Bhogarai and Sadar blocks we can’t give information about others as block development officers of the respective areas are yet to provide their assessment reports,” Balasore district emergency officer Bhagaban Behera said.
“While 254,000 people in 354 villages under 32 gram panchayats of Bhogarai have been affected, 112,000 in 142 villages under 15 gram panchayats of Sadar block have faced the flood fury,” he added.
Even though a large number of residents were starving since Sunday, no relief was distributed till Monday evening, many victims alleged.
“We are facing floodwater since Sunday as our house collapsed. I haven’t eaten anything and my family members are also starving. We had some dry food but all has been finished. The floodwater is yet to recede and there is no relief from the administration,” said Pratap Mohapatra of Kasipada gram panchayat.
“No polythene, no food material, no kerosene here. Government officers are still to visit our village. How can we live? The cattle too are on empty stomach since last two days,” Gangadhar Nayak of Duttapur village said.
Sources said more than 200,000 people in the riverside hamlets of Basta, Baliapal, Jaleswar and Bhogari blocks were also going without food for the second day.
“After July floods we were provided only 10 days’ relief. All have been finished. We have no work since then. The administration is also not providing assistance. How can we live?” asked Kamalakanta Barik, a resident of Basta.
District Collector A.C. Padhiary, however, said that food materials have been stocked in the blocks and panchayat headquarters and four boats, two each for Bhogarai and Baliapal, were pressed into service.
“We have dispatched 500 quintals of chira (flattened rice) to four blocks but except in some areas of Bhogarai block no relief was distributed till Monday. We also have stocked rice and cattle food,” he said, admitting that the flood situation was serious.
The flood has disrupted road and telecommunications links and caused breaches in the embankments of several rivers. Thousands of villagers from riverside villages have moved to cyclone shelters, schools and shacks along National Highway 60.