Kendrapara: Though over two decades have passed since the super cyclone-1999 struck the state, the district administration here is yet to learn from its past mistakes and prepare itself for greater challenges, a report said.
The very severe cyclonic storm Yaas, which struck the state Wednesday, has again exposed the loopholes in the style of functioning of the district administration and its lackadaisical attitude in meeting the challenges posed by natural calamities.
It is worth mentioning here that Kendrapara district is prone to natural calamities like floods and cyclonic storms.
However, neither the district administration nor the public representatives seems to have learnt a lesson or two from the past calamities in protecting the district and its people.
This has laid bared the district administration’s hollow claims of ushering in various development projects during the last 20 years. The district administration’s approach towards natural calamities is limited to evacuation and relief distribution work.
The issue crops up only when there is an impending cyclone or a flood threat in the district. Everybody forgets the issue once the problem gets over.
Reports said that over 55 villages in the district are marooned whenever there is flooding. However, neither the district administration nor the government is making adequate efforts to repair the existing embankments and construct new ones to control floods.
What is worse is that no effort is being made to protect the natural mangrove forests which have stood as a protective barrier against tsunami and cyclonic storms in the past. Mangrove forests on large patches of government land have been cleared for construction of prawn gheries.
As a result, the coastlines has become vulnerable to threats of cyclone and tsunami The cyclonic storm Yaas made landfall near Bahanaga coast in Balasore, May 26. However, its impact was felt a day before the landfall.
Locals said that the cyclone failed to cause much destruction at the seaside blocks such as Rajnagar and Mahakalapara as the wind speed was within 100 to 120 km per hour. The calamity might have wreaked havoc had the wind speed gone up to 185 km per hour.
Moreover, 1,05, 802 people were evacuated and rehabilitated at 974 multi-purpose cyclone centres.
Locals Ganesh Chandra Samal, Radhakant Mohanty, Manoj Kumar Nayak, Chittaranjan Sahu and environmentalist Hemant Kumar Rout have questioned the district administration as to what prompted them to shift so many people.
They claimed that this has happened due to lack of effective implementation of Centre and state-sponsored housing schemes. There would be no need to shift so many people had people been provided with a house under the Awas Yojanas, they added.
The government report published after the Super Cyclone-1999 claimed that 397 persons died during the calamity. However, in reality the total death toll is more than 1,000.
Moreover, every year people are losing their livelihood due to natural calamities but efforts are not being made to provide them with alternative livelihood opportunities.
The rural job scheme MGNREGS could have provided jobs to the people during emergencies but it is in limbo due to lack of effective implementation.
When contacted, ADM Basant Kumar Rout said that efforts are being made repair the river embankments and creation of more mangrove forests in Bhitarkanika National Park to protect the coastline.
PNN