Odisha urges Kerala to provide food to 130 Odia victims

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today urged its Kerala counterpart to provide minimum assistance like food and water to the people from the state taking shelter at a flood ravaged place, official sources said.

The state government's action came soon after it received an SOS message from one Anil Sethi, who informed that about 130 people from Odisha have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, Near Asha Munnar Post Office.

Sethi informed that they were not even able to get food and drinking water for immediate sustenance.

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

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."

Earlier yesterday, the Odisha government had 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 telephone 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.