Erasama: Twenty-two years have passed since Super Cyclone-1999 struck the coastal state October 29, 1999. However, the memories of the devastation caused by the calamity are still afresh in the minds of the residents under this block in Jagatsinghpur district.
The calamity caused unprecedented damage in the area, said, Shankar Charan Sethi, former sarpanch of Ambiki panchayat under the block. The memories of the calamity continue to haunt the residents that wiped out scores of lives, blew off houses and changed the topography of the area, remembered residents Nivas Phandkar, Subrat Samant of Nagar Colony and Debadutta Das, Arjun Jena of Dahibar village.
The calamity unleashed a reign of terror with heavy rain and gale. Tidal waves rose up to 30 feet and destroyed the topography of the area. Hundreds of lives were lost, houses caved in, trees uprooted and thousands of livestock died in the calamity. The devastation which the residents witnessed 22-years back has given way to development in the area. However, the residents are yet to forget the black day of October 29.
Jamuna Phandakar in Nagari village of Ambiki panchayat, about 10 km from the sea, lost 24 members of his family including her husband Susant and father-in-law Atul in the calamity.
Around 276 people of 66 families in the village lost their lives. Many of them lost all their family members except themselves. The gale blew off her thatched house which was eventually washed away by the surging tidal waves gushing towards her village.
She climbed to the top of her house but the tidal waves washed it away along with all her family members. Jamuna carrying her 15-month-old son was swept away in the waves and got stuck to a banyan tree at Kochila village which was about four km from her village.
She remained there indisposed with some bodies and poisonous snakes for two days little knowing that her 15-month old son had slipped away from her arms. She could not hold her tears when someone reminded her of the day. She is now living with her nephew.
Later, 92 cyclonic shelters were constructed under the block. However, these have become endangered due to lack of timely repairing.
PNN
