Orissa - laid waste

The floods have drowned the hopes of the people of Orissa, who are yet to recover from the effects of the super-cyclone and drought. PRAFULLA DAS reports.

NATURE HAS again been harsh on Orissa. The worst floods since Independence have dealt a severe blow to the people, most of whom are yet to recover from the super-cyclone in 1999 and a severe drought in 2000. Flood waters are yet to recede in many areas and several villages are still marooned. Since the monsoon is still active, the possibility of further floods cannot be ruled out.

The initial estimates of the State Government are that over 85 lakh people in 15,023 villages have been affected by the floods in as many as 24 of the 30 districts. The toll has been put at 80; two lakh houses have also been destroyed and crops on more than nine lakh hectares have been submerged.

Drinking water is the major problem in the affected areas; the number of deaths caused by gastroenteritis and other water-borne diseases are on the increase. Health authorities and humanitarian agencies fear diseases such as malaria could assume epidemic proportions.

For once, the authorities had prepared in advance and stored relief material at the panchayat level. But the magnitude of the flood just overwhelmed them.

In one instance, Government officials saw a marooned village across a huge sheet of water where trapped survivors cried out for relief. But the officials just looked on helplessly - they did not have a boat to carry the relief across.

There were other hiccups too. Air Force helicopters carried out over 200 sorties, dropping more than 500 tonnes of relief material to those stranded below. But in the initial days, bad weather hampered the airdrpopping operation and dry patches were also few and far between. So, many food packets fell into the water, instead of reaching those who needed them the most.

It all started in the first week of July when heavy rain lashed the entire State for about a week causing many rivers to overflow. Vast areas in Kalahandi and Koraput, in the State's interiors, as well as several coastal districts, including Jajpur and Bhadrak, were inundated with breaches along the river embankments.

When river Vamshadhara started receding, the pressure on Kalahandi and Koraput eased. But elsewhere, the Mahanadi, the Brahmani and the Baitarani were in full spate and heavy floods swamped a much larger area of the State by July 9.

If the authorities heaved a sigh of relief on one day, saying the the situation was likely to improve in the affected districts, there would be heavy rain the next day and the water level would start rising again. Continuous rain in the catchment area forced the authorities to release more and more water to save the Hirakud reservoir on the Mahanadi near Sambalpur and the Rengali reservoir on the Brahmani in Angul district. And, greater havoc unfolded in areas downstream.

The waters of the Mahanadi which caused heavy floods in several coastal districts as well as the interior parts started receding only by July 20, by which time the situation had become critical in many districts. At one point, the water level of the Hirakud reservoir had crossed the 628-feet mark, as against the danger level of 630 feet. The Brahmani started receding only on the afternoon of July 25.

But, hundreds of villages are still cut off. It may take several days for the water to recede fully. And only then will the real extent of the damage begin to be known.

The people who have lost their paddy crop are now headed for an uncertain future. There is little possibility of growing paddy in many areas anytime soon. Those who have lost their houses or whose livelihood has been hit are clamouring for immediate help.

People in many villages marooned by breaches of the river embankments are likely to live with the waters for many more weeks as repairs will not be possible in many cases till the monsoon ends.

For those who were yet to get over the losses caused by the cyclone and the drought, the floods have come as the last straw. Pauperized to such an extent, it will be difficult for them to get on with their lives.

``The situation calls for a long term commitment from various agencies. Studies about floods have shown that more people die in the epidemic that follows than in the actual flood. Since the actual flood season is not yet over, we need to prepare,'' says a disaster management expert.

``It is time the Government and humanitarian agencies come forward. Disaster response is not just about distribution of candles and match boxes and construction of embankments. It is more importantly about rebuilding lives,'' he says.

There was also criticism about the media coverage. The complaint was that the media did not highlight Orissa's plight in the manner Gujarat's earthquake was. And this, says relief workers, has affected the quantum of aid coming in.

The coming months are likely to be tough for Orissa as the State has already received 84 per cent more than its due rainfall. ``Orissa could face a prolonged dry spell in the coming days,'' apprehends Mr. D.P. Bagchi, Chief Secretary of the Orissa Government. Between June 1 and July 25, the State has recorded 930.4 mm of rainfall as against the normal of 505.5 mm during the period.

The Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority needs to step up activities in the districts that are vulnerable to cyclones, flood and drought. The office of the Special Relief Commissioner, hitherto a punishment posting for difficult bureaucrats, needs to be strengthened. Outdated technology need to be changed.

In a disaster-prone State such as Orissa, it is important to inculcate disaster preparedness right from the school curriculum onwards. The situation calls for a community-based disaster- preparedness programme.

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