Even when the Special Relief Commissioner issued early warning of heavy rain, the Rayagada district administration failed to take enough measures to combat Cyclone Titli.
After the landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast, the Titli wrecked havoc in Gajapati district, which is adjacent to Rayagada. The probability of extension of the tempest from Gajapati to Rayagada was ignored by the district administration leading to colossal loss to emergency services like electricity, communication, drinking water, health facilities in District Headquarters Hospital and PHCs.
The administration didn’t make proper announcement regarding the gravity of the possible impact of the Titli. On the other hand, it was busy in organising Ama Gaon Ama Bikas in Kolnara block and foundation laying ceremony of District Amala Sangha office.
“These events are important but should not have been the priorities of district administration in the context of the ensuing heavy rains and the tempest.
Those events could have been either postponed or cancelled like that of closure of schools and cancellation of college elections and buses and trains. This is nothing but insensitivity of the district administration,” said Basant Ulaka, a local tribal youth leader.
During Cyclone Hudhud and Cyclone Phailin earlier, as the contingent plan was sound, the restoration work took time as planned.
Till writing of this report, normalcy was not restored in the town. Most of the residents of the Rayagada town were still to avail basic services like electricity and water.
The fuel bunks are operating manually. The villages around Rayagada like Siriguda, Kotlaguda and Barijhola are devoid of electricity.
Residential schools like Ekalabya Model Residential School(EMRS) at Barijhola, where around eight hundred tribal boys and girls reside, are under duress.
Train services at Muniguda and Dahikhal stations were disrupted due to breaking of huge trees.
The tents and arrangement for Durga Puja festival by JK Papers limited are highly damaged.
Though the fire department, PHED, municipality and Southco swung into action after the tempest, a contingent plan could have been more helpful. Hundreds of trees have been uprooted.
The standing crops and vegetables have gone to dogs. Blocks like Gunupur, Kolnara, Bissam Cuttack, Padmapur, Ramanaguda, Muniguda and villages bordering AP like Kereda, Hat Seskhal, Pitamahal, Gajigam, Jagannathpur in Rayagada are highly affected. The devastation in agriculture needs proper damage assessment.