Kendrapara: Once again it’s festival time. Raja festival is approaching and preparations are in full swing for the three-day long festival in Kendrapara district.
But this time Raja will definitely fail to bring cheer to the families of the fire victims in the Jalakana village of Mahakalapada tehsil as they are still suffering from the trauma of becoming homeless in a fire that occurred in their village last month.
Around 31 families were rendered homeless and 63 thatched houses were destroyed May 30 in a fire in Jalakana. Property worth around Rs 40 lakh was also gutted.
The fire started from a haystack and within minutes it spread to several houses due to strong winds.
The fire was so intense that the villagers could not rescue their gold, money and other valuables. All the grains stored in households were turned into ashes. The fire rendered them homeless and they were forced to take shelter in makeshift polythene tents.
The fire has turned the villagers into virtual paupers, and they have given up the idea of celebrating Raja this year.
One can find only the pale faces of the fire victims who are busy constructing a better accommodation here. Many fire victims have not yet managed to construct a house although the district administration has provided an allowance of Rs 98,900 to each 29 households for house construction, clothing and utensils.
Work orders were issued recently for the construction of pucca houses under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana to all the 29 families whose houses were damaged.
Several NGOs and youth groups have lent their helping hands to the fire victims, said Alaya Pradhan, one of the victims.
Celebrating Raja in villages means wearing new clothes, preparing sweets and visiting relatives and friends. But this time, it would be a festival sans excitement for the fire victims as they cannot afford new clothes or prepare sweets, said Sundari Pradhan, a fire victim.
Collector Prem Chandra Chaudhary said the district administration had provided dry food and tarpaulin to the fire victims, and had also disbursed assistance for building houses, buying clothes and utensils.
Work orders were also issued for the construction of houses for 29 families in Jalakana, he added.
Horror of Jalakana
- The May 30 fire started from a haystack and within minutes it spread to several houses due to strong winds
- The fire was so intense that the villagers could not take out their gold, money and other valuables from their homes
- All the grains stored in households were turned into ashes
PNN