KENDRAPARA, May 12: Expressing deep concern over abysmal lack of disaster preparedness, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) charged the government agencies of jeopardising the safety of people in natural disaster prone Kendrapara district.  “It’s a failure of disaster preparedness mechanism in Kendrapara district. The government has not learnt lessons from the past blunders.” alleged Kendrapara MLA Mr Utkal Keshari Parida while briefing reporters here recently.  "The government was forced to transfer the then Collector during 2005 flood for utter negligence charge. Nothing has changed in the mind set of officials exposing the people to unpredictable Nature," he observed.  Kendrapara, one of the most cyclone prone districts, is presently without an emergency officer. The emergency wing of the administration has almost come to a standstill. While the region is reeling under heat wave, it is not equipped with instrument to measure day temperature. "What has one to say, the telephones of the wing have stopped functioning," he said.
As many as 26 HAM radios, vital communication link during disastrous hours, have turned dysfunctional. Those had been installed in the aftermath 1999 super cyclone in remote seaside villages considered highly vulnerable to cyclonic strike.  Sea is turning violent and eating into large coastal areas of this district. Major areas in Rajnagar including the block headquarters town are now threatened by sea erosion. But the government measure to arrest the erosion is conspicuous by absence. The saline embankments that checkmate the ingress of tidal waves are lying highly vulnerable. "Funds spent for its repair have been embezzled by officials and BJD leaders exposing the residents to onslaught of nature’s fury," he said.
While flood is a recurring feature in this part of the state, flood control mechanism has abysmally failed here. The flood-induced breaches on the river embankments have not been given facelift. More than the half of the river embankments are in enfeebled state and are highly susceptible to possible flood.  Simply introducing erosion control products to the coastal areas like erosion control blankets, hydraulic mulches, turf reinforcement mats, etc. would greatly diminish the cyclones' effects.
"There has been a rampant misuse of flood control grant from the centre," said Mr Parida citing the cases of refurbishment of irrigation bungalows owned by the irrigation department. "The flood control grants were diverted for repair of government rest houses and installation of air conditioners," he added.
As many as 26 mechanised vessels provided to the district by the state port engineering department have turned idle. "The engaged employees and crew members are left with no work to do," Mr Parida said. These vessels come in handy for relief and rescue operation during flood and ingress of tidal waters into this coastal region.
Besides the funds to provide relief to people from heat wave have been largely misused. The Sarpanch of each of the 230 gram panchayats have received Rs 5,000 for heat wave control measures. Barring a few exceptions, the funds have served as pocket expenditure for the PRI members. "The district administration has also failed to judiciously use the special relief commission grants for heat wave relief measures," Mr Parida said.