Balangir: A major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Balangir town as relentless heavy downpours over the last four days have brought life to a standstill, leaving the local population, particularly underprivileged communities, stranded without any support. Waterlogging and flash flood conditions have severely impacted residential sectors, but affected citizens allege that the administrative response remains non-existent.
Expressing deep concern over the unfolding disaster, Senior Lawmaker and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Shri Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has hit out at the District Administration of Balangir, labeling their approach toward the victims as completely callous and indifferent. The Lawmaker highlighted that despite four consecutive days of heavy rainfall submerging parts of the town area, the District Collector has failed to initiate any critical ground-level action or contingency planning.
According to ground reports, no emergency relief camps have been set up to shelter displaced families whose homes have been inundated. Furthermore, the local administration has not operationalized a dedicated disaster control room to monitor requests for assistance, coordinate rescues, or dispatch essential items. Poor families, who are the hardest hit by the sudden inundation, are left struggling for basic survival as no arrangements have been made to distribute cooked meals or dry food packets.
Shri Singh Deo also pointed out that despite the severe weather causing massive waterlogging across key routes and neighborhoods, administrative officials have yet to conduct physical site visits to evaluate the severity of the damage or meet the stranded residents. Compounding the chaos and risk to public safety, educational institutions, including schools and colleges, have not been ordered closed, forcing students and teachers to navigate hazardous, flooded streets.
Faced with the administrative paralysis at the district level, Shri Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has urgently requested Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to intervene personally. The MLA has urged the state leadership to take immediate charge of the situation, supervise the implementation of necessary emergency measures, and ensure that the vulnerable citizens of Balangir receive the urgent relief and protection they desperately need.