The extremely severe tropical cyclonic storm Fani has brought untold misery to the coastal districts of Odisha. Holy City Puri and Temple City Bhubaneswar have been devastated beyond recognition. The state capital, known as the clean and green city, has lost most of its greenery. Residents of the city are yet to come to terms with the scale of the devastation. Five days after the cyclone wreaked havoc in the city, power and Internet service have not been restored. With people from all sections of the society in a state of despair, Orissa POST spoke to some youth to find out how far their spirit has been dented by the disaster.
Annada Mishra, a Class XI student of Takshila School, was deeply saddened by the trail of devastation.
“I had only heard about the destruction caused by the Super Cyclone of 1999. But on this fateful Friday, I experienced how frightening a cyclone can be. My mom says Fani has caused more devastation than the previous one. I have never seen Bhubaneswar in darkness for so many days in my life. I love this city where I was born and I hope things get back to normal soon,” said Annada.
Though the living conditions seem to be getting tougher by the day after the cyclone, Annada is ready to bear with the difficulties.
“There is no power, water, or Internet at home and I am feeling restless without these facilities. However, I think I am in a better state than those who have become homeless. Fani has certainly damaged a lot of infrastructure in the city and it would take a lot of time and money to restore them, but it can’t kill the spirit of the citizens. The city is limping back to normalcy and soon we will overcome the difficulties,” she added.
Satyajit Dash, a banker, had similar views when asked how he was dealing with the trying conditions.
“The problems are endless. Everyone is in distress. The disaster has put both the rich and the poor in the same boat. You can see people, irrespective of their class, standing in queues to collect water in buckets from the water tanker. Everyone is asking for candles, matchboxes and kerosene lamps as it would take days to get back the power connection. It is difficult here in Bhubaneswar, but you can’t really blame anyone when the forces of nature are unleashed. Whether you like it or not, you have to deal with the situation. I would rather say it is an opportunity for the millennials to orient themselves with nature,” said Satyajit.
“Natural calamities cannot be avoided. If the people of Maharashtra, Himachal and Kerala can show resilience, why can’t the Odias? This is a time that will test our character. We can overcome the difficult time if we join hands and help each other,” he added.
Debadutta Jena, who is popular in his circle for his philanthropic activities, started distributing drinking water and food from Saturday morning among people who were stranded after the cyclone hit the city.
“Bhubaneswar bounced back after 1999’s Super Cyclone and it will do so this time too. Nature dealt us a blow and it is now up to us to respond. Fani has dealt a big blow to the state’s economy, environment, agriculture, tourism and many other sectors. The cyclone has put Odisha in reverse gear. But we need to fight back with courage and resilience. Let us look ahead. Let’s plant more trees and make the city and state green again,” said Debadutta.
BRATATI BARAL, OP