Though it has been 23 years since the Super Cyclone hit the coastal Odisha on October 29, 1999, the scars still remain fresh in the mind of the family members who lost their near and dear ones.
About 387 people were killed in the storm in Kendrapada district alone. As many as 1,308 villages from nine blocks, besides two urban local bodies, had borne the brunt of the nature’s fury.
The State Government provided Rs 44 crore as ex-gratia and rehabilitation measures after the cyclone, but the loss in terms of human life and property was colossal.
Octogenarian tribal widow, Parbati Kisko, a resident of Panikhia under Lanjuda panchayat of Mahakalapada block is yet to get over the trauma of losing four members of her family, including her husband, daughter and two grand children.
“The storm blew away everything at a stroke. I was witness to a tragedy that unfolded right before my eyes. My husband, daughter and grand children met watery grave following an eight feet high tidal wave swept away all my family members when they were trying to ride on a rooftop,” she recounted. “I survived as I luckily was already on the roof top,” Parbati said with teary eyes.
As many as 12 people had died in her panchayat under Mahakalapada block in the gale.
Similarly, for Rajaram Pal and Malati Patra of Sandhakuda slum, life has come to a full circle after the Super Cyclone. While Rajaram lost his eight family members, including father, mother, siblings, wife and his two children, following a tidal wave came crashing and swept away
all his family members, he could save only his eldest son.
Similarly, Malati had also lost all his six family members, including her husband, two sons and a daughter, in the catastrophe. After the cyclone, Rajaram failed to take care of his eldest son. As a result, the villagers of Sandhakuda arranged the marriage of Rajaram with Malati.
Another victim, 37-year- old Tapaswini Senapati of Tentulikanda village under Barkanda gram panchayat recounting the fateful night said she lost her uncle, aunt and her sister in the storm. The tidal water swept away her family members all at once. "As we have a building, so the villagers rushed to the rooftop to take shelter. Apprehending that the building might cave in, I, my sister, my uncle, aunt, their daughter and four others came out from the house to move to a safer place in the village. But as ill luck would have it, tidal water swept away my uncle, aunt and my sister. I and my uncle's daughter managed to hold a tamarind tree branch. We spent more than 24 hours there by drinking the storm water and amid poisonous snakes. Later, we swam to a safe place," said Tapaswini, who is now eking his livelihood by operating a betel shop in her village.
Similarly, Kalandi Hati, a resident of Tentulikanda, remembering the dreaded night stated that he lost his father, mother, elder brother, elder sister-in-law and a nephew as the sea water entered into their house and swept away all of them. Somehow, Kalandi escaped a sure death. Later, he cremated his family members after locating the bodies 5 km away from his village. Notably, 27 people were killed in Barkanda panchayat due to the storm.
