Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Odisha government on Thursday for its handling of the ongoing flood crisis that has affected several districts in Odisha, while criticising Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for being in New Delhi instead of overseeing operations on the ground.
BJD MLA Pritiranjan Ghadai questioned the priorities of the state leadership during a press conference, asking why the Chief Minister was attending meetings and photo opportunities in the national capital when people in Odisha were battling floodwaters. “What was more important—standing by the flood victims and saving lives and property in Odisha, or attending meetings in Delhi? People of Odisha will never forgive this apathy,” he said.
He mocked the CM’s statement on closely monitoring the flood situation in Odisha, where over two lakh people have been impacted across districts such as Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, and Dhenkanal, while being in the national capital.
Majhi reached Delhi on Wednesday for a four-day visit, where he is scheduled to meet several Union Ministers and senior BJP leaders. In addition to raising key state-specific issues with the Central Government, he is expected to discuss Odisha’s evolving political landscape and connect with state party MPs.
Ghadai highlighted delays in providing relief materials like dry food, cooked meals, polythene sheets, and medicines to marooned residents, alongside concerns for livestock lacking shelter and fodder. He pointed to embankment breaches that have inundated homes and farmlands, accusing the Water Resources Department of failing to carry out timely repairs. The BJD leader also warned of rising risks from waterborne diseases, claiming inadequate deployment of medical teams by the Health Department. “Medical teams are absent when the risk of waterborne diseases is escalating. The Health Department has shown zero urgency while people live in fear. Furthermore, river embankments were never repaired on time by the Water Resources Department. Breaches are occurring everywhere, destroying crops and putting lives in peril,” he claimed.
The BJD MLA contrasted the current situation with the disaster management record under former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, noting that Odisha had earned global recognition, including from the United Nations, for its “Zero Casualty” approach during cyclones and floods. “Today, the entire state remembers Naveen Patnaik because citizens trusted that under his leadership, their lives and livelihoods were safe.”
Describing the current administration as being in “Kumbhakarna Nindra”(deep slumber), Ghadai added: “The government’s total failure during this disaster is unpardonable. It owes an immediate explanation and answers to the four and a half crore people of Odisha,” he added.
At least three deaths have been linked to the floods, with rivers like the Baitarani and Salandi flowing above danger levels and breaches reported in areas such as Jajpur. Concerns are also mounting over the Mahanadi river system due to heavy inflows from upper catchments. The state has deployed NDRF, ODRAF, and fire services teams, closed schools in several districts, and stated that senior officers are overseeing ground operations. CM Majhi has said he is monitoring the situation remotely and has prioritised citizen safety.
