A fact-finding team of the PCC led by Kisan Congress State president Amiya Kumar Pattanaik visited flood-affected villages of Gop block in Puri district.
The team visited the Khnadiakuda village under Bedpur GP and saw the breaches created by floodwaters of Kushabhadra and Dhanua rivers and interacted with villagers. Because of a 45-feet breach, thousands of villagers were marooned and crops were damaged in at least 10,000 hectares.
Describing the recent flood as manmade and the State Government’s response as lukewarm, Pattanaik said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has never assured people for a permanent solution to the flood problems. The engineers always turn a blind eye to the impeding threats caused by weak protection walls and overflowing rivers.
Pattanaik alleged that Government officials did not reach out to marooned people with relief materials. Unless the Government takes early remedial steps, the Congress would launch an agitation under the leadership of PCC president Sarat Patnaik and DCC president Rabindra Sethi.