2 hours Ago By Amarnath Parida
JAGATSINGHPUR: It has almost been 25 years but Narayan Mandal’s loss was so profound that the calamitous day flashes in front of his eyes like yesterday. The 58-year-old native of Garia village in Gadaharishpur panchayat had lost 11 of his family members to one giant wave that changed his life forever. The impending cyclone has only reignited his fears and also of those who survived the 1999 Super Cyclone, particularly in the worst-hit Erasama block.
One of the worst natural disasters to have hit the country in recent memory, the Super Cyclone had officially claimed close to 10,000 lives and left behind a trail of devastation and human misery way beyond description. Mandal survived by tying himself to a tree. His family, which included his parents, wife, children, and brother’s family, had sought refuge on the roof of their asbestos house when a tidal wave hit the dwelling.
The house collapsed under the pressure, and everyone was swept away into oblivion. Though eligible for a compensation of Rs 75,000 per victim, Narayan received Rs 4.5 lakh for his six deceased family members.
After greasing the palms of officials and sharing half of the amount with his sister, he was left with just Rs 2 lakh with which he built a small asbestos house. Now remarried with four children, Mandal’s family still struggles to secure a proper home and fears every time a cyclone approaches. His repeated pleas for a house under Indira Awas Yojana have gone unanswered.
“The government promised housing and loan assistance 25 years back but the assurances remain unfulfilled,” he lamented. In Garia village alone, nearly 110 people died during the 1999 Super Cyclone. Villages like Suakana, Asia and Garia, located just one km from the sea, still lack cyclone shelters, leaving their 1,200 residents vulnerable to storms.
In addition to absence of shelters, the villages suffer from poor road communication and inadequate drinking water facility. Parbati Gudia, sarpanch of Gadaharishpur panchayat, said while nearly 1,000 families are eligible for housing assistance out of 2,700 households, only 300 received the benefit. Several survivors like Mandal have not applied for housing schemes online, leading to their exclusion from government benefits.
Another survivor, 55-year-old Madhusudan Jena of Kankan in Ambiki panchayat lost all his 12 family members. The storm claimed the lives of his parents, wife and children and his home was washed away. Forced to build a temporary thatched house, Madhusudan has since remarried and now has a family of four, but continues to struggle without a permanent house.
Working as a daily labourer, he expressed his vulnerability, saying, “Every cyclone brings a new threat to us.” Madhusudan also pointed out broader issues in his village, where nearly 800 people died during the devastating calamity. Despite the loss, there is still no proper road access.
The village also faces a severe drinking water crisis, with government-installed tube wells supplying iron-contaminated water, forcing residents to travel four km to neighbouring Ambiki panchayat for clean water. Erasama BDO Dasarathi Jena assured steps would be taken to provide houses to the needy..
