For 22-year-old Utkal Maity orphaned by the super cyclone that hit coastal Odisha on October 29-30, 1999, life had turned topsy-turvy.
The lone survivor of the cyclone-hit family from Jhatipari village in Erasama block of Jagatsinghpur district has successfully overcome the harrowing ordeal. Utkal is doing masters in social works and hopes to get a decent job.
The super cyclone then had accounted for 9,885 human toll of which Jagatsinghpur district alone registered 8,119 human lives' loss. In the worst-hit Erasama block, over 6500 had perished, according to data.
However, majority of survivors have successfully rebuilt their lives while fighting the odds and obstacles. Utkal still vividly remembers the tragedy that had befallen upon him when he was hardly 8 year old.
"The tragedy that befell on me has made me mentally stronger. Destiny had played cruel .. at the tender age, I was deprived of warmth of family love and affection. Ups and downs of life have spurred me to work harder," he said.
"Cyclone had snatched away everything from me at one stroke. But for governmental ex-gratia and support from the maternal uncle, I would have been on the streets. I lost my father (Uttam Maity), mother (Sabitri) and elder sister (Ambika). Tidal waves had come crashing and swept all of us away. I had survived clinging on a tree. I had found myself at Erasama hospital," said Utkal.
The government has made a deposit of Rs 1.5 lakh ex-gratia grant in my bank account. The sum was saved in the bank. That had given me strength to fight it out with the life. Further Rs 75,000 ex-gratia sum is yet to be awarded though my sister had perished in the cyclone, he recalled.
My maternal uncle and management of Bhubaneswar-based SOS village have done a lot to instill the self-confidence in me to fight with odds, he said. His maternal uncle Chandan Manna said after learning that his sister's family was swept away by tidal waves, he rushed to Jhatipari in Erasama but the bodies of his sister, brother-in-law and niece could not be retrieved.
"Utkal, my nephew was alive and was undergoing treatment in Erasama hospital. After he recovered, I had brought him back to my home in Mahakalpada. For better upbringing and education, I enrolled him in SOS village where many orphaned cyclone survivors had been rehabilitated. As a guardian, I had maintained touch with him over the years," recalled
Chandan, a teacher of a government-run high school. Utkal said for him SOS village has become his home. He suffered traumatic disorder following the death of parents and sibling.
"I was provided counselling for which I could overcome the shock. Then I could take the life in my stride. I have thoroughly enjoyed the company of my inmates and environs of the institution. Staying at the short-stay, I completed schooling, plus two arts and graduation course. Now I am doing my masters. My aim is to work in social service sector so that that could come to the help of distressed people," he narrated with emotion-jerked voice.
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