Hundreds of villagers of Humma under Ganjam block have submitted a memorandum to the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) and Managing Director of OSDMA Dr Taradutt for construction of a multi-purpose cyclonic centre at Humma village instead of Gada Humma.
The cyclone-prone Humma village is the largest village in the coastal area located on the side of NH-16 at a distance of only 2 km from the seashore. Keeping the recurrent cyclonic threat perceptions and the strategic location of the village, IIT-Kharagpur had also identified Humma village as the most ideal location for construction of a multipurpose cyclone shelter to protect people from natural calamities. Keeping this in view, Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) and OSDMA Managing Director Taradutt in 2013 had directed the Collectors of eight districts including Ganjam to select sites for construction of multipurpose cyclone shelters and approach roads under NCRMP programme.
The letter pointed out that out of 512 locations identified by the IIT-Kharagpur for construction of cyclone shelters in the coastal areas, only in 350 locations cyclone shelters have been constructed under different schemes. The rest 162 locations in six coastal districts and around Chilika lagoon are yet to be covered under various schemes for which the World Bank has agreed to scale up the scope of NCRMP to create more disaster resistant infrastructure, the letter pointed out. It also prescribed 11 key parameters in selection of the site for such construction.
However, ignoring the necessities, the local Revenue administration selected site for construction of the cyclone shelter at Gada Humma. By this 9,000 inhabitants of Humma were deprived of the benefit, the memorandum alleged.
Besides, Humma village has about 2.5 acres of vacant land in the heart of the village. While the village has 2,000 holdings with 9,000 population, Gada Humma site selected by the local revenue administration has 100 holdings with a population of 500 only.
Moreover, the distance from Gada Humma to Humma is about 3km as a result 9,000 people of Humma village have to cross a State high way and railway line to reach Gada Huma for shelter at the time of such natural disaster, there by defeating the very purpose of such cyclone shelter, the memorandum alleged.