No cause for celebration here

By Prafulla Das

ERSAMA, APRIL 20. Rebuilding Ersama remains a distant dream. In and around this block in Orissa's Jagatsinghpur district, the authorities are found wanting on every count in providing help to survivors of the super-cyclone last October. Lakhs of survivors continue to suffer.

The worst-hit are the widows, orphans, small farmers and those who earned their livelihood through fishing. Efforts by the authorities and voluntary agencies helped them ward off hunger in the past six months but barring a few families whose breadwinners are in distant cities and towns, for the rest life continues to be full of uncertainty.

After the emergency relief was stopped, the survivors are being provided rice at the rate of Rs. 4.50 per kg. Subsequently, they were given house building assistance ranging Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 3,500. Many spent part of the money on food and the rest on constructing huts with polythene sheets for roofs. The luckier ones got corrugated sheets for roofing from voluntary organisations. Nothing has come from the Government after the house building assistance. The survivors are waiting for housing loans and the farmers for seeds and bullocks to restart agriculture.

Banalata Parida, who lives in the Mamata Griha at Kiada village, lost everyone except her little daughter. She gets food and clothing at the Griha, which is run by a voluntary agency.

Banalata, who hails from a nearby village, is keen to get back. But she is yet to get any financial assistance to construct a house; neither is she willing to take the housing loan of Rs. 35,000 which the State Government has been talking about. ``When I have lost everything, how can I pay back the loan amount even in 15 years'', she asks. As many as 35 widows and orphans have taken shelter at Mamata Griha. Everyone ranging from the 10-year- old orphan, Parvati Acharya, or the young widow, Meena Mana, has a harrowing tale to narrate.Jayanti Sahu of Hanagotha village is one of the survivors from her family, which totalled 35 before the cyclone.

The other survivors are her uncle, Prajapati (35) and two more children. They have constructed three small huts close to each other.

Prajapati, who works as a daily labourer, is at pains describing his story, ``I am not getting regular work. How can I take care of three children.''

Similar is the case with Bhagwan Jena of Pallikanta village. He and his neighbours played the drums during functions to earn their livelihood. They lost their drums in the storm and are not invited anywhere as nobody celebrates any occasion.

When free, Bhagwan used to repair all types of drums. But now he is finding it difficult to start work as all his instruments were lost. He wants a loan to restart work.

Duryodhan Gochhayat, a labourer from Chhagabaria village, lost his ration card in the cyclone. He is yet to be issued a food card because of which he is not able to buy rice at the rate of Rs. 4.50 per kg.

``The sea cheated us and made our life hell. We hope the Government will help us survive',, says Prasant Mallick of Ersama. Their cries for help are falling on deaf ears.

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