Jajpur, August 26 (Odisha.in) Thousands of residents in flood hit Jajpur district are still waiting for relief that the government promised them but not yet provided.
At least 5000 residents of Majhipada, Saudia, Raipur and Kolhanagiri panchayats are surrounded with water even on Sunday though the water level in two rivers Genguti and Birupa have come down since Friday.
The affected villagers complained that they have not received any relief yet. The situation in villages under Majhipada gram panchayat continued to get worse as they are still waterlogged.
The residents have been forced to stay without food and drinking water. “We are starving since a week.”But no relief materials has reached us” a villager told Odisha.in
“We are compelled to drink polluted water from the local well as the lone source of drinking water (tube wells) has gone contaminated due to flood water” Bichitrananda Mohapatra, a resident of Majhipada said.
The tube wells here are laying defunct for the last couple of months”, he alleged.
The right side embankment of the Genguti River was not repaired for the past couple of years.
“A master plan for the permanent Flood control here was initiated by the former minister Amar Prasad Satapathy and NABARD had allocated the requisite funds. But the project is yet to be started.
“Even the weak embankment of Genguti is not repaired for the past so many years” former Sarpanch, Baikunthanath Panda said.
Meanwhile, former Agriculte minister, Amar Prasad Satpathy on Sunday visited the flood hit Majhipada, Saudia, Raipur and Kolhangiri panchayats of the block.
Five gram panchayats of the Barachana block have suffered heavy damages due to recent flood, Satapathy told Odisha.in.
The district administration has failed to act on time. He added that more than 2000 hectares of paddy crops have been affected. “We want permanent flood control measures for the affected block”.
Odisha.in