Women cry for clothes in flood-hit Orissa

PATKURA (Orissa): Thirty-five-year-old Manjulata Sahu has half a dhoti to cover herself since the floods washed away her house and made her homeless in Orissa, a week ago.
    
Manjulata and her neighbour Anadi Sahu (55) divided a five-foot dhoti to cover themselves as their clothes were lost in the floods.
    
"We stand naked, hungry and homeless," says 55-year-old Anadi, whose thatched house was swept away by the waters on the night of September 19. Similar was the case of many others who lost everything, including clothes.
    
Babita Sahu (22) preferred not to come out of the polythene tent on the river embankment, which was crowded with the flood victims, because of her dirty clothes.
    
"Our house and everything was swept away. The administration has not come to our rescue," she told from inside the tent.
    
Patkura's woman sarpanch Ahalya expressed helplessness. "What can I do? A large number of people including women in my panchayat are facing the same situation. Where do I find clothes for them?"
    
Similar tales were heard in Patkura area in the Mahanadi delta, which has a population of over 20 lakh people and was also ravaged by the deluge.
    
Like the Sahus, a large number of people in this part of coastal Orissa lost their clothes, houses and other belongings as the Chitratopla, a branch of the mighty Mahanadi river, broke through the embankments close to their village of Jagannathpur-Patana in Kendrapara district.