Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik has demanded immediate steps by the Odisha government to ensure quick relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures for people affected by the recent floods in Ganjam district.
In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the leader of opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly also urged him to fix accountability for alleged lapses in handling of the flood situation.
The former chief minister highlighted the hardships faced by people in Hinjili, Sheragada, Asika and Sorada during his visit to the flood-affected areas on November 7.
Stating that he interacted with farmers, women, small traders and people from various sections of society, he said people had suffered significant losses due to the floods.
Noting that floods had caused extensive damage to infrastructure, crops, livelihoods and property, besides claiming lives, Naveen claimed that negligence and inadequate preparedness on the part of the government had worsened the situation and pushed the district back by several years.
Referring to the early warning issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on October 23, the BJD supremo questioned the government’s preparedness and the timing of water releases from dams. He alleged that instead of releasing adequate amounts of water before the heavy rainfall, the Water Resources Department opened the dam gates after intense cyclonic rainfall had begun, aggravating the flood situation.
He further said that people had complained about not receiving adequate warnings before the dam gates were opened. Describing the situation as a man-made crisis, he demanded strict action against those responsible for the alleged lapses.
The former CM also alleged government’s failure to prepare for the floods despite advance weather warnings. He said the authorities should have anticipated heavy rainfall in Ganjam, given the district’s vulnerability to cyclonic weather conditions.
The BJD chief also expressed concern over delays in rescue and relief operations, stating that several people had remained stranded for days without adequate food and drinking water. He alleged that timely government advisories about the intensity of the rainfall were also lacking.
During his visit, Patnaik said he had received several representations from affected people and forwarded them to the Special Relief Commissioner for immediate action.
Stressing the need for rehabilitation, he urged the State Government to ensure timely compensation and reconstruction without discrimination. He also called for coordinated efforts to restore the livelihoods of farmers, women, youth, small traders and other affected residents.
Referring to the community-based disaster management system developed during the previous BJD government, he highlighted the role of Sarpanches, Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members and Mission Shakti groups in disaster response. He alleged that the neglect of these institutions under the present BJP government had weakened the state’s disaster management framework.
Citing previous flood situations in Kendrapada, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Baleshwar, he said the repeated mishandling of natural disasters was causing serious hardship to people and hampering the state’s overall progress.
The BJD president urged the BJP-led government to take responsibility, identify the lapses and strengthen disaster management mechanisms. He warned that the BJD would raise the concerns of affected people at every possible platform, from villages to Delhi, if the government failed to provide adequate relief and rehabilitation.
“Incompetence and negligence of a Government should never lead to the suffering of its people. The BJP state government must study which mechanisms and institutions worked effectively for the state in the past and use them to act with foresight and commitment. The BJP state
government must take responsibility and fix accountability so that the hard work done and progress achieved by the BJD Government over 24 years is not undone in 24 months by the double engine sarkar pushing the state backwards,” Naveen added.