Flash floods play havoc in Odisha’s Malkangiri town

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Malkangiri, Sep 19:

Low pressure induced incessant rains have played havoc in southern Odisha’s district headquarters town of Malkangiri leading to flash floods throwing normal life completely out of gear.

Flood waters as high as five feet flowing through the main road of the district headquarters town has halted flow of traffic making it inconvenient for school children to come out of their homes to attend school.

While flood waters flowed through the Botiguda area at the centre of the town, 23 families of Botiguda were forced to move to safer places as water entered their homes.

“Water has entered our homes since 3 AM in the night. Nobody is listening to our plight. Is a kg of rice and a sheet of polythene enough? Nobody really is concerned with our plight. None,” said a flood affected woman of Botiguda area.

“We have been staying here since the last 35 years. None has taken any action to prevent flood waters from entering our homes. No action was taken after the area was flooded last time. We had no option but to move out of our homes at 3 AM in the night with our children as flood waters entered our homes.  Around 25 houses have been submerged in the area.  Government is only for the rich people not for us,” said a man from the area whose house has been submerged in the flash floods.

A few days back, flood waters had entered Botiguda area and had damaged houses. Following repeat of the same, serious resentment has surfaced among the residents of the area.

As knee-deep flood water flowed over the bridge at MV 11, connectivity between Malkangiri has been severed.

Local MLA Manas Madkami has visited flood affected areas of the town and spoke to the people while making an assessment of the situation.