For over two weeks, Bari block in Jajpur district has remained submerged under twin floods, cutting off nearly 29 panchayats and leaving thousands of families stranded in hunger and isolation. What began as a natural disaster has turned into a crisis of neglect—open breaches unrepaired, relief collapsing within days, and senior officials absent from the ground. From banana rafts ferrying children through chest‑deep currents to families sheltering in abandoned memorials, Pragativadi’s on‑the‑ground reporting reveals the stark realities of survival and the urgent need for permanent solutions.
Bari Villagers Plead for CM’s Visit as Breaches Stay Open and Relief Fails:
Despite the scale of suffering, Bari has remained neglected. Senior officials and state leaders have stayed away—even as the Chief Minister visited neighbouring flood‑hit areas—leaving families to endure hunger, isolation, and despair. Across dozens of villages, water from the second flood refuses to recede, trapping residents in desperation. Their collective plea is clear: “Come to Bari, Chief Minister, and see how the flood‑affected are living.” While breaches in Dasarathpur and Dhamnagar drew the Chief Minister’s attention, Bari—where four major breaches remain open—has not. The Revenue Minister has also stayed away, and local MLA Pradeep Bal Samant visited only once. Villagers warn that without direct intervention and permanent flood‑control measures, Bari will remain condemned to life as perpetual “victims.”
Relief Efforts Collapse as Bari Families Struggle with Bare Minimum Aid:
Relief efforts in Bari collapsed almost as quickly as they began. Cooked food was distributed for barely three to five days in most panchayats, and in many villages none at all during the second flood. Community kitchens shut down due to lack of gas cylinders and clear instructions from higher authorities. The only dry ration families received was a single kilogram of flattened rice—sometimes with jaggery, often without. With prolonged power cuts, no biscuits for children, no polythene sheets, candles, or kerosene, survival has become desperate. Poor families stack bricks to light makeshift fires, boiling a handful of rice for their children, while traditional chulhas remain waterlogged and unusable.
Annapurna Rice Quota Missing in Bari as Families Receive Only Half Rations:
The Annapurna Yojana’s promise of extra rice has bypassed Bari. Under the National Food Security Act, beneficiaries are entitled to 5 kg of rice per person, and since Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi took charge, the Annapurna scheme added another 5 kg—raising the quota to 10 kg. While this additional rice is being distributed across Odisha, Bari’s residents say they are still receiving only 5 kg. Complaints from eight panchayats, including Kimbhiriapal, Bhanra, Bainsiria, Atira, Bari, Chandanpur, Anyaspur, Balibili, and Kalamatia, reveal widespread denial of the entitlement. Many beneficiaries were unaware of the extra quota, while locals allege collusion between retailers and supply officials. The Block Supply Officer has offered no clear explanation, leaving families short of their rightful share.
Kalamatia Families Trapped in Knee‑Deep Water as Officials Stay Away:
In Kalamatia panchayat, more than 100 Dalit families have endured knee‑deep water for over 15 days. Mud houses have collapsed, roofs have caved in, and residents crawl under fallen thatch to enter their homes. Snakes and insects roam freely inside, while women break down, describing how they shield children beneath leaking roofs. Two snake‑bitten children were carried 8–10 km on villagers’ shoulders through floodwater to reach hospital care. The local health centre functions only for three hours a day, with basic dressings handled by non‑medical staff. For 15 days, no official or political leader has visited, leaving the hamlet abandoned in crisis.
Banana Rafts Replace Relief as Anandapur and Haldianta Remain Water‑Locked:
In Anandapur and Haldianta villages of Anyaspur panchayat, more than 150 households—around 500 to 600 people—remain completely marooned. With no government boats arriving, residents have been forced to build banana rafts to reach higher ground. One villager, Vivekananda Jena, carried his fever‑stricken 10‑month‑old granddaughter on such a raft to access medical help. Others describe how cooked food stopped after five days, drinking water is unavailable, medicines have run out, and ANM workers have not visited. Collapsed houses, suffering cattle, and vulnerable children paint a grim picture of survival in isolation.
Arual Ghai Breach Funnels Floods Into Bari as Departments Stall Repairs:
Since July 29, the Arual Ghai breach in Atira panchayat has remained wide open, funnelling two successive floods into half of Bari—including Atira, Rampa, Bari, Arangabad, Balibili, Anyaspur, Allipur, and Kalamatia. A 100–150‑foot gap left in the guard wall built in 2010–11 became the entry point for disaster. While the Water Resources Department attempted temporary fixes with sandbags, the Rural Development Department’s road‑rebuilding work stalled midway due to inter‑departmental disputes. Villagers now demand permanent solutions: extending the guard wall up to Tinimuhani, raising the road by four feet, and dredging the Brahmani to prevent recurring inundation.
Narrow Kantakar Bridge Blocks Drainage, Prolongs Bari’s Flood Misery:
The Kantakar Bridge near Bari Mount, the main drainage outlet for a vast area, has become a choke point. The earlier wooden bridge allowed floodwater to pass freely, but the new structure has only two narrow openings. As a result, water is pushed back upstream, keeping villages submerged for days. The bridge itself is broken, lacks a guard wall, and poses danger to commuters. Locals and intellectuals argue that widening and lengthening the bridge under a special project could finally drain water from five panchayats and end Bari’s cycle of chronic inundation.
Token Aid from BJD and BJP Leaders as Official Relief Falls Short:
With official relief minimal, political leaders stepped in to provide token assistance. BJD MLA Biswaranjan Mallick and BJP leader Umesh Jena—joined in some places by state spokesperson Manoj Mahapatra—distributed small quantities of atta and potatoes, about 1–1.5 kg each per family, across Bari block. Villagers accepted help from both sides without visible bias, though the presence of Congress leaders was notably absent.
Human Stories of Survival Highlight Bari’s Flood Neglect:
Amid Bari’s flood misery, human stories reveal the depth of suffering. An elderly woman has been stranded for more than eight days at the Matrumangal Kendra near the historic Sevaghar, unable to move even when her sons brought a banana raft. At Jaleswarbrahmapur Nodal School in Kimbiriapal, the Pragativadi team shared rice and dalma cooked for nearly 500 people, sending food to waterlogged villages. Families with cattle have taken shelter in the abandoned Freedom Fighters’ Memorial at Baripal, while in Tantighai, collapsed kachcha houses still house families left out of PM Awas benefits. Young volunteers from Bhubaneswar‑based organisations are surveying eight panchayats for long‑term rehabilitation, trudging through knee‑deep water despite the constant fear of snakes.
Incomplete Rations Leave Bari Families Hungry and Without Basic Aid:
In Bhanra and neighbouring panchayats, families face stark deprivation. Even households with 12 members received barely 1.5 kg of flattened rice, leaving them hungry and helpless. No drinking‑water bottles, candles, or kerosene have reached them, and many ration cards still provide only 5 kg of rice instead of the promised 10 kg. Medical assistance is almost non‑existent, forcing villagers to endure illness and scarcity without support.
Pragativadi Brings Voices From Bari’s Isolated Flood Hamlets:
Led by Pragativadi’s Executive Editor Birupakshya Tripathy, along with Jajpur Correspondent Kailash Chandra Nayak, Bari representative Darshan Behera, Dasarathpur representative Jachindra Kar, and Photo Journalist Deepak Mahapatra, the Pragativadi team continued its coverage of flood‑ravaged Bari on Sunday. Their reporting uncovered stark realities: a submerged power grid that left 22 panchayats in darkness, an elderly woman stranded for more than a week, families forced to take shelter in abandoned memorials, and young volunteers trudging through waterlogged terrain to survey the devastation. These scenes underscore both the scale of suffering and the absence of sustained official response.
Former Students of Jajpur District High School Extend Help to Needy Families:
Former students of Jajpur District High School have extended a helping hand to the underprivileged in their villages. At Malda Chhak, they were seen distributing essential items to needy women. The initiative was coordinated by Journalist Biswabhusan Jena (Bapi) Jena, with enthusiastic participation from many alumni. Their collective effort reflects a spirit of social responsibility and community development, as they continue to support vulnerable families in the flood‑affected region.
Santhan Power Grid Submerged, Bari Plunged into Darkness:
The Santhan electricity grid, the main power source for Bari, was submerged under four feet of floodwater, cutting supply to 22 of the block’s 29 panchayats. Built in a low‑lying area without foresight, the grid failed completely as water refused to recede. Villages were plunged into darkness until public protests and media exposure forced electricity officials to enter by motor boat and restore power while standing in water. Residents now question why the grid was constructed in a depression and warn that this temporary fix cannot last. They insist the grid must be raised or the surrounding area elevated to prevent repeated submergence. With no kerosene or candles provided, prolonged blackouts have made survival even more difficult.
Elderly Woman Stuck for Over 8 Days at Matrumangal Kendra:
Near the historic Sevaghar and Matrumangal Kendra—institutions founded by freedom fighters Gopabandhu Choudhury and Rama Devi—an elderly woman has remained stranded for more than eight days. Unable to return home due to the flood, she continues to stay at the centre managed by Bharati Apa of the Kasturba Trust. Though her sons brought a banana raft to take her back, she could not travel on it. Bharati Apa, inspired by Rama Devi’s ideals, runs the centre single‑handedly, teaching children and serving the community even in the midst of disaster.
Pragativadi Team Shares Meal with Flood Victims:
Around midday, the Pragativadi team reached Jaleswarbrahmapur Nodal School near Milimilapur in Kimbiriapal panchayat, where rice and dalma were being cooked for flood victims. Invited by Sarpanch representative Abhimanyu Sahu and others, the team joined in tasting the food. The panchayat had earlier served cooked meals for three days, paused for one, and resumed on Sunday. Families from Bainshiria panchayat were also eating together, with Hindus and Muslims sharing meals without restriction. Cattle were tied on the verandah, while two classrooms housed goats. Nearly 500 people are being fed daily, with larger portions sent to waterlogged villages and for night meals to those whose homes remain submerged. Local PEO Pramod Kumar Sahu is helping procure vegetables at lower rates from Barabati in Kuakhia, as local prices remain prohibitively high. The dalma served contained potato, drumstick leaves, carrot, brinjal, and arbi.
Shelter at Freedom Fighters’ Memorial:
In Ward No. 1 of Baripal village under Chandanpur panchayat, families whose homes and cattle sheds were submerged by the Brahmani flood have taken shelter in the abandoned Freedom Fighters’ Memorial complex. Residents like Dasrath Das, Mahendra Maharana, and Nabaghan Parida are living there with their cattle, yet have received neither food for themselves nor fodder for their animals. Nearby, in the vulnerable Tantighai riverbed, families such as Giridhari Mallick, Nayana Mallick, and Kuni Mallick continue to stay in collapsed kachcha houses, still excluded from Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana benefits.
Volunteers at Gopabandhu‑Rama Devi Ashram Survey Bari’s Flood‑Hit Families:
At the Gopabandhu‑Rama Devi Ashram, the Pragativadi team met young volunteers led by Gandhi follower and social worker Ramakanta Mandal. Volunteers from NYP, CYSD, Adarsh Odisha, Start Network, CAID, and other organisations have come from Bhubaneswar to work across eight panchayats of Bari. Among them were Bibhuti Bhusan Sahu, S. Priya, Omprakash Sahu, Debasish Swain, Mamali Rana, Gurudev Behera, and Laluprasad Samantaray. They are surveying flood‑affected families to plan long‑term livelihood recovery once waters recede. The volunteers described the flood as severe, official assistance as inadequate, and spoke of the constant fear of snakes while wading through knee‑deep water.
Fresh Complaints from Bhanra: No Candles, Incomplete Rations:
Fresh complaints continue to emerge from Bhanra panchayat. In Ward No. 14, Bidyadhar Pradhan reported that no drinking‑water bottles have been supplied, and families of two to twelve members received only 1.5 kg of flattened rice without jaggery or sugar. Despite prolonged power cuts, the administration provided neither candles nor kerosene, and cooked food was served for just two days. Residents of Chatumari village have remained trapped for five days due to the absence of boats. In Ward No. 3, families including Sharat Jena, Bharat Jena, Batakrishna Jena, Ketaki Jena, elderly Gabhi Jena, and Srimati Jena stated they have received no government relief. Villages such as Sango, Gadeipur, Chatumari, Barilo, Raipur, and Bhurunga remain largely deprived of official assistance, while ration‑card holders continue to receive only 5 kg of rice instead of the entitled 10 kg.
