Khurda: Floodwaters from Daya and Rajua rivers have inundated several villages of Khurda, Jatni, Balianta, Balipatna and Begunia blocks in the district.
However, around 10,000 people of Orabarasingh, Narangarh and Brajamohanpur panchayats in Khurda block have been severely affected by the floods. More than 7,000 hectares of agricultural land in the locality have been inundated by the floodwaters, sources said.
According to villagers, several houses in at least 15 villages in the above said three panchayats have been submerged with the floodwaters. Household goods and food grains of many villagers have been damaged by the flood.
“Several villages of Khurda block have been marooned by the floods. Most of the people have taken shelter on the roofs. Several poisonous snakes have been spotted in the floodwater,” said a villager.
The villagers claimed that pregnant women, children and elderly people at villages like Orami, Hirimula, Dihakhala, Dhabalpur, Balapur, Narangarh, Manapur, and Saradhapur have been facing loads of difficulties due to the flood.
“Our village has been submerged with 5-ft deep floodwater. We have taken shelter on the roofs. We are unable to cook food for last several days. The fear of snakebite is also looming large,” said many women of Saradhapur.
The villagers have been facing difficulties in getting potable water as most of the tubewells and wells in the locality have been submerged with the floodwater. The flood-affected villagers are yet to get adequate drinking water through tankers, sources said.
“Boats have become the only medium of communication for us. We have been facing shortage of grocery items, vegetables and other essentials. We do not have adequate money to buy essential commodities from distance places. The poor people have been severely affected by the flood. Most of them have not eaten cooked food for last few days,” said a villager of Narangarh.
The villagers claimed that the activists of several political parties have visited the flood-affected villages the required relief to the marooned people has remained a far cry. “The administration is yet to distribute cooked food among the flood affected. It has provided us a kilogram of flattened rice, 100 grams of sugar and two biscuit packets of Rs 5 each,” rued the villagers of Saradhapur.
However, Khurda Collector Sanat Kumar Mohanty said, “Steps have been taken to provide dry and cooked foods to the residents of flood-affected villages. A team has been formed to provide healthcare facility to the marooned villagers. A few boats have been arranged for communication and fire brigade personnel have been deployed to carry out the relief and rehabilitation work,” he said.