Parlakhemundi: Though it has been nearly three months since Titli hit and close to a month after cyclonic storm Phethai hit Gajapati district, affected people of several villages are yet to receive the promised financial assistance.
The twin calamities not only damaged properties but have left the people high and dry. Even after so many months, relief is yet to reach the affected people.
Debris of broken houses is lying scattered everywhere forcing the affected people to take shelter at their relative’s house. Moreover, drinking water is still a crisis with damaged roads yet to be restored.
Fed up with officials apathy, villagers have taken up the restoration work. Resentment brewed as many people are spending sleepless out in the chilling wintry night with no relief for houses.
The situation is grim in tribal-dominated Engarasingh village under Raigarh block. All basic amenities including education, health, drinking water and electricity eludes this village.
The village located atop a hill is home to more than 1200 tribals. The villagers here practised shifting cultivation for livelihood. However, the rainwater washed away all the crops and also killed over 100 cattle and livestock. With their houses damaged, villagers have now taken shelter in nearby villages.
No official has yet visited the village. Moreover, due to lack of a concrete road, relief distributed by the administration has not reached the villagers. To save themselves from the bone-chilling cold, locals are taking shelter in temporary tents.
Even as they were provided 50kg rice, Rs 1,000 and a polythene sheet after CM’s relief announcement, they blamed the officials of negligence.
“Temperature is hovering around 3 degree Celsius and our children are shivering in the cold inside tents. They don’t care about our family,” an angry villager said accusing officials concerned of slackness.
To add to woes of people, drinking water has become scarce in the village. People here are facing drinking water crisis as most of the sources including wells and river bodies contaminated while flood water during Titli inundated stand posts and tubewells.
Locals demanded immediate relief before situation worsened. When contacted, the BDO said steps were being taken to reach all the villages and health workers were creating awareness among people about purifying drinking water, maintaining hygiene to prevent mosquito breeding and drinking boiled water.
PNN
