HC orders adequate boats for flood-hit Pattamundai villagers

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has come to the aid of flood-hit villagers in Pattamundai block of Kendrapada district, directing the state government to ensure the immediate deployment of an adequate number of power and manual boats to restore connectivity for residents cut off by floodwaters, official sources said Tuesday. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Chittaranjan Dash issued the direction while disposing of an interim application filed by Anand Kumar Samal and others in a public interest litigation (PIL).

The petitioners, represented by senior advocate Sujata Jena, sought immediate intervention by the administration to facilitate the movement of villagers surrounded by floodwaters. They submitted that the deuge had severed connectivity between the affected villages and neighbouring areas and cities, with the existing means of communication submerged under floodwaters. The petitioners urged the court to direct the government to provide boats to restore connectivity and enable villagers to access essential services. Appearing for the state, the government advocate submitted that the administration was aware of the difficulties faced by the villagers and had already deployed an adequate number of power and manual boats in the affected areas. Jena, however, contended that the villagers were not benefiting adequately from the arrangements, either due to the insufficient number of boats or because their operation was restricted to certain locations.

Taking note of the divergent submissions, the court observed that people cut off from the rest of the state due to floods could not be left in such a situation indefinitely. The court further stressed that it was the “ardent duty” of the government to provide all facilities necessary for the sustenance of people af fected by the floods, including means of communication. The bench directed the government to ensure the immediate deployment of an adequate number of power and manual boats, if they had not already been deployed, in the localities mentioned in the PIL to restore connectivity for residents cut off by floodwaters.