Odisha Man Lives in Toilet With Wife and Two Daughters After Cyclone Fani Destroys House, Family Forced to Defecate in Open
A dalit man in Odisha’s Kendrapara district has been living in a toilet that was allotted to him under the Centre’s flagship programme Swachh Bharat Mission.
Bhubaneswar, May 19: Even though cyclone-ravaged Odisha is limping back to normalcy, people in several affected districts are still struggling to get basic facilities. People affected by the cyclone, which hit Odisha on May 3, are yet to get safe drinking water, electricity and telecommunication. The distribution of relief assistance is however, underway in the state. The death toll in Odisha so far due to cyclone Fani has increased to 64. Cyclone Fani: All Households in Puri District to Get Free Sanitary Napkins for Next Two Months.
Several incidences have been reported where people have been struggling to bring back normalcy after cyclone hit the state. A dalit man in Odisha’s Kendrapara district has been living in a toilet that was allotted to him under the Centre’s flagship programme Swachh Bharat Mission. After ‘Fani’ wrecked havoc, the man's kutcha house was damaged and since then he has been living in the toilet with his family. He said as the toilet was being occupied, his family was forced to defecate in open now. Cyclone Fani Meaning Explained.
The homeless man, identified as 58-year-old Khirod Jena, is a landless daily wage earner in Raghudeipur village. According to reports, the man has been living in 7 feet x 6 feet toilet along with his wife and two grown up daughters. According to a report by PTI, Jena said that the cyclone destroyed his house but the toilet was saved and as he had nowhere to go, he decided to live in the toilet. "The toilet allotted to me two years back has become by shelter house. I do not know how long we will be staying here,” Jena said. Fani Strongest Cyclone to Hit India Since 1999: Skymet.
The man further added saying that the cyclone completely shattered his life and added that he has no resources to rebuild the house. He said he is left with no other option but to wait for cyclone restoration grants for the house rebuilding. “Till officials give me cyclone damage compensation, the toilet will continue to be my house. With toilet being occupied, we are forced to defecate in open now,” he said.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the situation in the worst-hit Puri district earlier this week and visited Kendrapara to take stock of relief operation. The Chief Minister announced that 30 new multi-purpose cyclone shelters would be set up in the district at a cost of Rs 60 crore.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2019 01:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).