The floods have left 39 people dead and 33 lakh affected across the state.
Heavy floods in Odisha have taken a toll on its people leaving 39 dead and around 33 lakh affected across 23 districts in the state. With rain refusing to relent and government response failing to match up to the plight of those affected, Odisha faces a major crisis.
As we tried to get to an affected village in Puri district, our boat got stuck more than once in the flooded waters.
In Pandiakera, a village completely inundated and marooned for the last several days, Jai Krishna Samantray and his family of 10 have been stuck on their house's terrace for 4 days now. So are other 100-odd families in the village.
Mr Samantray's family pointed out that the government has not provided them with boats to travel to the nearest relief camp, a few kilometres away. The only food supplies they received from government consisted of rice flakes and jaggery.
"The government is only talking. They are not backing it up with action," said Mr Samantray.
Though a boat with relief supplies was observed as we left, the question is whether it is too little and too late.
Across the state, more than 5,300 villages have been affected with 460 of them marooned by heavy flood waters. The downpour has affected 3, 22,163 hectares of agricultural land as well.
The government has said that it is doing its best to handle the crisis with 40 teams from both state and national disaster response forces dispatched to affected areas. Free kitchens at 200-odd places coupled by over 100 medical teams and 365 boats to help those affected by the floods are part of the government's rehabilitation plans.
However, what may prove to be an impediment to the government's plans, is the Met department's forecast for more rain in the state