Making a mockery of the tall claims by the administration that relief operation was going on in full swing and the marooned people were provided the best succor possible, hundreds of flood-hit victims alleged that they were shown apathy by the Government and left to fend for themselves.
While many complained that they did not get relief material at all, a bunch of them said they got relief tool little too late. Still there were scores of the villagers who revealed that they had to pass days together in starvation. The allegations were mainly pouring from thousands of victims in the northern part of Baleswar district, comprising Baliapal, Basta, Bhograi and Jaleswar blocks.
“Our area was cut off from the mainland as water of waist-deep height began running on the road. We were marooned completely. There was no electrify, water and mobile network. At such a juncture, neither could we get any relief materials, nor any Government official visited us,” lamented Upendra Maharana of Darada village.
“It was an extremely painful experience. The water has no doubt receded but still it is running on the road connecting Basta and Baliapal blocks. Therefore, the vehicular movement has been stalled. We are deprived of emergency service as the vehicles are not plying on the road,” he added.
Several others, who are reeling under the worst floods, alleged that only for a day were dry rations provided to them, while they got no cooked food contradicting the claim of the administration. Despite flooding of complaints, the administration, however, maintained that the relief operation was on track.
Additional District Magistrate Akshay Mohanty said, “Relief materials have been sent to all affected blocks. In most of the cases, the provision was made for three days. Water pouches too were given in different blocks.”
Sources said the cyclone-triggered floods have affected more than 10 lakh people in 1,331 villages under 192 gram panchayats of the district. Besides collapse or severe damage of houses, 90 per cent of the paddy field was submerged in flood water. Waterlogging also continued to pose a threat of water borne diseases.
In Bhograi block, the most affected areas were Mahagaba, Gunasaratha, Nahara, Tukurihajira and Baunsadiha, etc, whereas the worst affected panchayats of Jaleswar block were laxmanath, RR Pur, Rajpur, Olomara, Baiganabadia , Paschimbad and Khualimajhi Sahi etc. The worst affected panchayats of Baliapal block are Jamkunda, Bishnupur, Ikkadpal, Ghantua, Nikhara and Rasalpur etc. Even though the water was receding in the all the major rivers, 647 villages in Baleswar, Baliapal, Basta, Bhogarai, Jaleswar, Remuna, and Nilagiri blocks still remained marooned. The areas of north Baleswar while were still waterlogged, there was fear that the situation would deteriorate as full moon was approaching.