Odisha urges Kerala to assist stranded Odia labourers

Bhubaneswar, Aug 18: In the wake of a distress call by some Odia people in flood-hit Kerala, the Odisha government has requested the southern state to provide assistance to 130 labourers from the state in Odapally, official sources said.

The Odisha government's request followed an alert from one Anil Sethi who informed that about 130 labourers from Odisha, who have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, near Asha Munnar Post Office, were not able to get food and drinking water.

"I would, therefore, request you to kindly make necessary arrangement for providing support in terms of food, drinking water and other necessities to the flood affected people from Odisha." the state's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said in a letter to P H Kurian, Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management, Kerala, yesterday.

The Odisha government also set up helplines in the special relief commissioner's office here to help the people in distress.

Any person from Odisha who has been affected may call up through the helpline numbers 1070 (toll free) and 0674-2534177, an official release said.

When contacted over phone, Anil Sethi told PTI, "we are virtually starving and even not in possession of a drop of water to drink. Therefore, we appeal both the governments of Odisha and Kerala to make arrangement for our survival."

The Odisha government has already announced a financial assistance of Rs five crore for flood-ravaged Kerala.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also talked to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan over phone about the situation.

Patnaik also offered other kind of support required to tackle the calamity, as Odisha has expertise in dealing with disasters like flood and cyclone.