Jayanti Buruda has brought glory to her district as well as to the state.
Buruda’s journey from Malkangiri to Forbes was not an easy one. It started with a humble beginning. Along the way, she has faced many obstacles and hindrances. But those couldn’t deter her from accomplishing her targeted goal. Six years ago, she founded Bada Didi Union, a movement to create awareness about menstruation hygiene. She would reach out to menstruating girls and women in inaccessible areas and sensitise them about their monthly cycle. Besides supplying sanitary pads to them, she would create awareness among them on the importance of maintaining hygiene.
Also Read: Odisha tribal girl, who topped district in Plus II Commerce, turns labourer to meet education cost
Buruda, a journalist, added another feather to her cap in 2023 by starting the Jungle Rani initiative, a social media platform where women publish adivasi stories. Her other achievement is that she is the only person in the district to receive the NWMI Fellowship for Women Journalists.
Buruda has been featured in the Forbes illustrious list which includes former MD of World Bank Anshula Kant, cricketer Deepti Sharma, Myntra’s CEO Nandita Sinha, chess grandmaster R Vaishali, and actress Kriti Sanon among others.
These rules will now enable minorities, who have settled in the country after fleeing from persecution on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, to acquire citizenship in the country.
Notably, the CAA enacted by the Parliament in December 2019 had earlier triggered protests across the country. It granted citizenship to the refugees who had come and settled before 2014.
However, Congress questioned why the refugees from Nepal and Sri Lanka have not been included in its purview.
But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have welcomed it as a historic decision.
As per reports, thousands of refugees who are now living in the Mahakalpara and Rajnagar areas of Kendrapara had intruded into the area in the 1950s to escape from the turmoil of the civil war in Pakistan. As many as 1237 of them settled in Kendrapara, and are now eking out their living from fishing and ferrying boats. But they have not been granted Indian citizenship.
Siuli Mandal, an illegal immigrant in Mahakalpara said, "We are happy that after the implementation of the CAA, we will have development. Our nation will develop and our children will face no problems. We will get land rights.”
On the other hand, the number of illegal settlers continues to rise in various parts of Kendrapara. Over the years, they have allegedly intruded into Bhitarakanika and then into other coastal parts through sea routes. About 90 percent of the illegal settlers living in Talachua, Dangamala, Gahirmatha, Jambu, Kharinasi, Batighar, and some other areas are from Bangladesh.
As per the information presented in the Assembly in 2005, there were 1649 refugees in Kendrapara, 1112 in Jagatsinghpur, 313 in Bhadrak, 665 in Malkangiri, and 106 in Nabarangpur. However, as per rough estimates, their numbers have increased almost threefold over the years. Now, all of them are going to be Indian citizens.
Bikash Majumdaar from Mahakalpara said, "After CAA implementation, our social, economic, and political issues will be sorted out gradually. Our children will get an education in schools. We thank the Central government for this.”
Deba Mandal from Paradip said, "When we go abroad we face problems because of a lack of credentials. Now, we will not be treated as refugees. We will have voting rights.”
However, Congress leader Sudarshan Das said, "Refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh were included in the CAA. But those who have taken asylum here from Nepal, Tibet, and Sri Lanka could have been treated as refugees. The CAA is meant to divide the nation and create an atmosphere of unrest.”
BJP leader Arabinda Dhali observed, “Those who have no citizenship have been facing a lot of problems. With CAA implementation, their issues will be resolved.”
BJD leader Ramesh Majhi supported the CAA saying, “The BJD has supported the bill which is good for the common people. All will benefit.”
(By OdishaTV Bureau)
Based on reliable information about dumps of explosive materials by ultras, the BSF personnel carried out a search operation in the Silakota Reserve Forest of the district.
"During an intensive search in the area, the BSF troops located multiple Maoist dumps, buried under trees located closely at a distance of 4 metres from each other. The area was located at a distance of around 300 metres inside the jungle from the connecting road between Bapanpalli and Silakota village along the Reserve Forest," a BSF release said.
During the search operation, the BSF personnel recovered three pressure cookers, 20 metres of Cordex, 24 gelatine sticks and 2 bundles of electric wire from the dumps in the forest.
The BSF said that the area earlier, used to be highly influenced by Maoists and their sympathisers.
"The Maoist outfits would keep IEDs, arms and IED-making materials at isolated places to be used against security forces and police operating in these areas," the release said.
Earlier on Friday, the security personnel had seized a huge quantity of explosive materials after an exchange of fire with a group of Maoists inside a forest in the Paikmal area of Odisha's Bargarh district.
Patnaik also visited Terminal 2 after dedicating the Malkangiri airport.
As per official sources, around Rs 29 crore has been spent on the construction of the airport’s runway, which is 1,602 metre long and 30 metre wide.
The airport has been built on 106 acres of land and it can handle small aircraft like the existing airport in Koraput.
Earlier, the trial run of a nine-seater VT-100 double-engine flight was conducted successfully at Malkangiri airport on January 7.
Apart from the inauguration of Malkangiri airport, the Chief Minister was also handed over the DPR of the Satpadhara Irrigation Project.
The work of the project work is expected to start from April and around 37,000 hectares of land will be benefited from the project.
Minister Tukuni Sahu said, “Malkangiri district lacked transport systems and an airport has now been inaugurated following the launch of bus services. Apart from the airport, the irrigation project will also benefit the people of this region. The flight services will start from Malkangiri airport soon.”
The materials were stored in a plastic drum and buried under the ground near Sileru river. The jawans detected the Maoist dump while conducting a combing operation in Bhejangwada jungle.
As per reports, the Left Wing Extremists (LWE) had hidden gelatine sticks, hand grenades, and a lathe machine used for manufacturing guns, to target security forces. However, the bid was foiled by the BSF jawans.
Similarly, the jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) unearthed a dump of Maoist materials including arms and explosives from the jungle near Gumudaput village under Machkund police limits in Koraput district.
The seized materials include eight tiffin bombs weighing 7kg each, nine tiffin bombs weighing 3kg each, flexible wires, two detonators, one pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition.
Sources said the explosives belonged to Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of the Maoists.
It is pertinent to mention here that many Maoists are trying to enter Odisha after fleeing from Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh due to anti-Maoist operations in these neighbouring States.
Even in Odisha, the SOG along with the District Voluntary Forces (DVF) have been carrying out anti-Maoist operations in forests in the Kalimela area.
During a combing operation on December 25, they stumbled upon several Maoist articles, which were buried underground at Kurmanur forest spreading into the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
A gun, steel boxes, iron rods, torches, a gas cylinder, and 34 types of materials used in making tiffin bombs and explosives were seized by the security personnel.
As per reports, the jawans of the Special Operations Group (SOG) along with the District Voluntary Forces (DVF) have been carrying out anti-Maoist operations in forests in the Kalimela area.
During the combing operation on Monday, they stumbled upon the Maoist articles, which were buried underground at Kurmanur forest spreading into the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
Among the articles recovered from the forest are a gun, steel boxes, iron rods, torches, a gas cylinder, and 34 types of materials used in making tiffin bombs and explosives.
According to sources, as the anti-Maoist operation is being carried out in the forested pockets, it is suspected that the rebels were planning to use the articles to target security forces.
In the wake of this development, the security forces have intensified the combing operation in the area. More such dumps are expected to be found.
Maoist activities are on the rise in the neighbouring states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It has been a cause for concern for the Odisha Police while security forces in Malkangiri are on their toes.
The districts are Koraput, Malkangiri, Sundargarh, and Keonjhar. The SPs of these districts have been advised to tighten security on the border and conduct frequent patrolling in those areas.
The alert came following multiple occurrences of Maoist violence including the blowing up of a railway track at Binuan village between Rourkela and Manoharpur railway station late Thursday night. Following the blast train movement on Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai route was severely affected.
It is pertinent to mention here that various outlawed Maoist insurgent groups have called for a nationwide shutdown strike (Bharat bandh) on December 22 to denounce their recent encounters with security personnel.
Maoists on Wednesday had set on fire multiple vehicles and blocked the National Highway in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma hours after their encounter with security forces in the nearby forest.
A passenger bus, two trailers, and a pickup vehicle were set on fire by Maoists, police officials said. There was no loss of life in this arson.
The Governor's district visits have now triggered sharp political reactions from the major political parties in the state.
As per reports, the Governor not only receives complaints galore from people but also takes stock of the execution of projects at the ground level. During his visits to Angul and Dhenkanal, he inspected school infrastructure, an old age home, hostels, the pollution caused by MCL, falling groundwater level and elephant mayhem, apart from directly interacting with people. Later, he wrote to the CM to redress the issues on December 8.
He also did the same and sought to know the issues of people in Malkangiri and Koraput. At Mathili, the Governor interacted with patients at the local hospital and later provided Rs 1 lakh as assistance to a poor girl Kabita Kahara at Pangam village who is aspiring to be an IAS officer. He expressed his displeasure over the absence of an Anganwadi centre there.
While the government has been boasting of the effective execution of projects, complaints from people to the Governor have put a question mark on the government. A question arises if the benefits of the schemes really reach people.
As for the issue, BJP leader Mohan Majhi targeted the government, accusing it of misleading people in the name of development to create a vote bank. "People will no longer be cheated and they will reply. The Governor has proved the hollowness of the so-called development," he added.
Congress veteran Jayadev Jena said, “After visiting Angul and Dhenkanal, the Governor has talked about the sorry state of affairs. What he has said about the development is reflected everywhere. Let him visit the entire state and see what kind of development has been done.”
However, BJD leader Padmanabh Behera countered it, saying, “People can feel the way development is being done in various sectors. If the government has pointed out something, the government will try to look into it.”
Speaking exclusively to OTV, Kabita expressed her gratitude to the Governor after receiving the financial help, and said, “It was indeed a dream for me to directly meet the Governor in my Badaguda village. He was in our village to attend a programme. All people were apprising him of their personal and community problems.”
She added that it was an opportunity for her to put forth her problems regarding her studies and her financial constraints.
“The Governor asked me about my destination and aspiration. I told him that I would like to become an IAS officer. Since I belong to a poor family, financial problems are a major hurdle for my studies and aspirations. As soon as I finished my story, the Governor smilingly assured me of Rs 1 lakh assistance which was immediately given to me. But I will not deem it as assistance, but a big blessing and God’s blessing for me,” she said, adding that his assistance will motivate her to work hard till she achieves her goal in life.
The Governor after visiting Angul the day before came calling to Malkangiri in a helicopter on Wednesday and interacted with patients at Mathili Hospital. He also held a meeting about problems faced by the hospital.
Later he visited Pangam Badaguda where he interacted with local residents about their problems.
Sore over the incident, locals held the contractor engaged in the electrification work responsible for such an incident. Had he plugged in the hole, the girl would not have fallen into it, they lamented.
As per reports, the girl was playing on the village street, but was unaware of a hole nearby. It was as deep as six feet. Accidentally, she fell into the narrow hole and got stuck inside. Locals tried to rescue her, but in vain.
On being informed, personnel of the fire services department rushed to the spot and dug a pit near the hole. The girl was rescued later and hospitalised.
Birup Singh, an official of the fire department, said, “The girl got stuck in the narrow hole in such a way that it was difficult to rescue her immediately. With the help of locals, my team rescued her from the hole after an hour of rescue operation.”
Chittaranjan Maharana, a junior engineer of the electricity distribution company concerned, said, "Following the incident, an explanation was sought from the contractor. The work was halted for two days. The matter is being investigated.”
Monica is presently busy shooting for the film at different locations. While getting an opportunity to act in the film industry, and by extension Tollywood, has never been a walk in the park, the opportunity to act in ‘Garaga’ as a lead actress didn’t come to Monica on a silver platter as well.
Her father, Goutam Samaddar is a small businessman and her elder brother is working for a Hyderabad-based company. Born in a Bengali family, Monica did her Plus II at a private residential college. Then she flew to Hyderabad to learn dance. Going to give a wing to her wish to be a dancer, her brother got her admitted to ‘HY Dance Studios’, a dance institution in Hyderabad.
This acted as a springboard for her career.
On the strength of her style of dance and acting skills, offers to act in short films started pouring in. And, there was no looking back for her. Eventually, the offer to act in ‘Garaga’ came to her.
“The film is an out-and-out action movie. Srinivasa Rao is in the main lead. I am very happy to work with him and others,” said Monica.
The film is being produced under the banner of Sri Srinivasa Creations. The other stars featured in the movie are Dr Chadalavada Haribabu, Rambabu, Ramaswamy, Chennakesava, Bhavani, Vijaya, Ravan Lankeshwar, Kali Charan, Ravi Babu, Meera and Rahiman.
It is suspected that the cave used to provide a safe haven to the Left-wing ultras inside the deep forest. Before they could perpetrate a major attack or violence, the BSF thwarted their attempt.
As per reports, Tulasi Hill is located on the border of neighbouring Chhattisgarh. As the elections are underway in Chhattisgarh, the Maoists were suspected to be planning to launch a major attack to disrupt the polling process by operating from the Odisha side. As the security and surveillance had been tightened, the ultras might have felt it safe to hide their arms and ammunition in the hill cave, which was away from the glare of the security forces.
ALO READ: 2 Maoists killed in encounter in bordering areas of Odisha’s Malkangiri
Sources said, that when the search operation in the area was going on, the BSF jawans came to know about the dump of the arms and ammunition. Among the articles seized from the cave included tiffin bombs, grenades, walkie-talkie sets, and Maoist literature.
Reports said as the area is on the borders of Chhattisgarh, Maoists usually move in the hilly terrains on the Malkangiri side. Six months ago, the Red Rebels used to hold a sway in the area. But after a BSF camp was set up, the ultras have reportedly been on the back foot.
Meanwhile, the BSF suspect similar ammunition dumps in the hilly areas and intensified search operations.
As per reports, a woman identified as Pan Pangi from Dishariguda village in the district had allegedly consumed poison over some family feud.
Following the development, Pan’s husband Madan informed about the incident to the nearest BSF Battalion seeking help.
A group of BSF jawans reached out to them soon and ferried the critical woman in a boat and another escort boat to one of their camps located 14 km away from the remote area at Ghanabedha. Subsequently, the jawans carried the woman to Chitrakonda Hospital in an ambulance.
Following immediate medical attention and treatment of the critical woman at the hospital, her life was saved.
Pan’s health condition is reportedly stable now.
By such gesture, the BSF jawans have proved that they are not only providing safety and security to the people of the Swabhiman Anchal from the Maoists, but they are going beyond their call of duty to help locals during their difficult times.
“We got the information about the critical woman at around 10 pm a couple of days back. Our jawans immediately evacuated her with the BSF speed boat and then took her to the nearby hospital in an ambulance. We are happy that her life was saved. BSF jawans are always ready to extend their help to the people in Malkangiri,” said BSF Commandant Kamal Khulbe.
Following the incident, local people have heaped praises on the BSF jawans for their act.
Due to heavy rain in Malkangiri, MV-96 bridge along National Highway No 326 at Kalimela has been submerged. Flood water is reportedly flowing up to three to four feet above the bridge.
As a result, communication from Malkangiri to Motu has been snapped. Hundreds of vehicles on both sides of the road near MV-96 bridge remained stranded. Security personnel of MV-96 police station have been allotted at the spot to keep a vigil on the situation.
Meanwhile, heavy rain for the last two days has thrown normal life out of gear in Kandhamal district. While the heavy rainfall has triggered the collapse of bridges in some places, roads in several places have also been submerged. As a result, road communication at many places in the district has been snapped.
The bridge over Salunki River connecting Nadikhanda Sahi and Dakapala has been submerged. Moreover, the kuchha road at Ratamaska under Phiringia block has been washed away while the bridge over Katramala canal collapsed due to the heavy rain. Many rivers in the district have been overflowing because of the rain fury. Mobile connection has been snapped at several places in the district as the towers have become defunct due to the rain-induced power cut.
“Road communication has been snapped in our area as roads have been submerged due to overflowing of rain water and collapse of the bridge in our area. We are stranded and helpless now,” said a resident of Dakapala.
Meanwhile, in view of the heavy rainfall, Bolangir district administration has declared holiday for all schools and Anganwadi centres in the district for today.
Meanwhile, a team of police and district administration reached Hyderabad to bring back the bodies to Odisha.
The deceased have been identified as Santu Badanayak, Sonia Kalam and Sonia Badanayak of Badapada village in the district.
As per reports, the workers were engaged in the construction of the five-storey building it collapsed, killing them on the spot.
The family members of the deceased are shocked and crestfallen after the incident. The locals have demanded compensation for the bereaved family members and job opportunity for them in the State.
As per the locals, they are forced to work in Hyderabad as their financial condition is very poor and they do not have much scope to earn their livelihood in the State. After losing the sole earning member, the family members of the deceased have now become helpless.
“Had they got the chance to earn their livelihood in Odisha, they would not have been forced to work outside the State. The deceased have small children. Now the family members are helpless and worried about their livelihood,” said the relative of a deceased.
“We don’t have scope for cultivation as we belong to hilly areas. We do not have much education. The people of our area are forced to work outside the State as migrant workers. We request the Odisha government to help us provide work in our own State so that we don’t have to go outside and work in hazardous conditions,” said a relative of another deceased.
“We also request the government to provide some financial help to the family members of the deceased as they have lost the sole earning members of their families. They are now clueless on how to make a living,” he added.
As per reports, acting on a specific input from reliable sources about the ambush of around 10-12 red ultras at Tadmetla and Duled forest areas under Chintagufa police station limit, a joint team of the District Reserve Guard and the Central Reserve Police Force launched a combing operation in the area.
When the patrolling team was cordoning off the area, an exchange of fire broke out between the two sides. In the process, two Maoists were killed. The joint team of security personnel suspects that more Maoists might have been killed or injured in the operation.
The exchange of fire went on for nearly two hours after which the Maoists retreated from the place. Two guns and explosives were seized from the spot. The search and combing operations are still on.
“Acting on an input, a joint team of security personnel launched the operation. The red ultras opened fire on the security personnel first. In exchange of fire by the security personnel, two Maoists died. After guns fell silent, bodies of two Maoists, a 12 bore double-barrel rifle and a pistol were recovered from the spot,” said Sukma Additional SP Prabhat Kumar.
“More investigation into the Maoist’s presence and activities in the area are currently underway,” he added.
In such a latest instance, irate relatives of a woman allegedly thrashed a man, who had launched a deadly attack on her, to death and hooked him on a tree upside down in Korukonda area in Malkangiri district.
The victim has been identified as Deba Madkami.
As per reports, Deba had attacked the woman in his neighborhood with a sharp-edged weapon leaving her critical in the process.
Following the incident, the irate family members and relatives of the woman didn’t bother to inform the police station. They took the law into their own hands and allegedly thrashed Deba to death. Moreover, they also allegedly hooked him upside down in a tree.
The injured woman has been admitted to Kalimela hospital in critical condition.
After receiving the information, Malkangiri police reached the spot and started an investigation into the incident. At least four persons have been arrested in this connection.
No reaction could be obtained from the police in connection with the case.
Meet Ganesh Dhangdamajhi from the Bonda Ghat area in Malkangiri district. Ganesh has been recently appointed as the captain of the Indian team for the upcoming Asian U-20 Rugby Championship to be played in Nepal. He is among four other players from Odisha to be selected for the national team for the mega event.
Acute poverty and all other odds couldn’t deter the spirit of Ganesh who is now reading in Plus 3. With sheer determination and hard work, he managed to make it to the Indian team.
Local people and family members of Ganesh are on cloud nine over his success.
“From the remote area of Bonda Ghat to be the captain of Indian team, Ganesh has certainly come a long way. We are so happy and proud of him. We had never thought that by pursuing the sport as his passion, Ganesh can be so successful,” said Ganesh’s brother Sama Dhangdamajhi.
Ganesh’s father works as a Choukidar. Ganesh is the youngest among his seven siblings. After completing his primary education from Bandhaguda School, Ganesh is now reading in a private institute in Bhubaneswar. He is also getting training in rugby in the institute.
“Ganesh studies till Class V at Bandhaguda School. With his hard work and determination, he became the captain of the India U-20 rugby team. We are so proud of him,” said Ganesh’s teacher Indrajit Kirsani.
Notably, Hadi Dhangdamajhi from the Bonda Ghat area was also selected for the Indian rugby team earlier. He represented the national team in an international rugby tournament in England.
More than 19 villages under Nakamamudi Gram Panchayat in the district have been alienated from the mainland as the only road connecting those villages have been blocked due to the landslide. More than 3,000 people have been stranded in those villages and they are facing lots of difficulties.
As per locals, the landslide occurred due to the negligence of the administration. Though the administration was aware of the situation at the ghat, no work was undertaken for the last two to three years causing the landslide.
Moreover, major areas in the district have been waterlogged due to the heavy rain continuing for the last three days. A flood-like situation has been created as large parts have been cut off due to water logging and submersion of roads.
Road communication from the district headquarters town of Malkangiri to Balimela, Kalimela and Motu towns has been cut off as water is flowing over many bridges. Hundreds of vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the road along the National Highway.
With the Gora bridge under the water, communication to Andrapalli gram panchayat in Swabhiman Anchal has been affected.
With IMD forecasting more rain as the cyclonic circulation over northwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a low pressure area in the next 24 hours, the situation is going to worsen further.
Road communication from the district headquarters town of Malkangiri to Balimela, Kalimela and Motu towns has been cut off, he said.
Severe water-logging was reported from different parts of the district and water was flowing over different bridges in Potteru and Kangurukonda areas, he said.
With Gora bridge under the water, communication to Andrapalli gram panchayat in Swabhiman Anchal has been affected, the official said.
With a steady rise in water levels, submersion of Gurupriya Bridge, which connects Swabhiman Anchal, a former Maoist bastion, with the rest of the state, cannot be ruled out, he said.
The Met department said that seven blocks in Malkangiri district have received an average rainfall of 943.2 mm in the last 24 hours. However, the average rainfall in the district was 134.74 mm. The flood-like situation has prevented 123 students from attending their degree examinations.
Meanwhile, the IMD forecast more rain as the cyclonic circulation over northwest Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a low pressure area in the next 24 hours.
Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy downpour is likely over Odisha in the next five days, the IMD said in a bulletin, while warning of water-logging in low-lying areas.
The Met department forecast heavy rain in one or two places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Angul in the next 24 hours.
The weather office issued orange (be updated) warning of heavy to very heavy rain for the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur and Bargarh on Thursday.
Similarly, heavy rainfall is likely to occur in one or two places in Ganjam, Nayagarh, Boudh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Sonepur, Nabarangpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Deogarh districts on Thursday.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra ordered that the case be probed under Sections 306/120-B/34 IPC (abetment of suicide) instead of 302/506/201/204 of IPC (murder).
“On a conspectus of the analysis of facts and law made herein, this Court is of the considered view that the offences punishable under Sections 302/506/201/204 of IPC are prima facie, not made out. However, there are enough materials to proceed against the accused persons for the offences under Sections 306/120-B/34 IPC,” Mishra said in the 30-page order.
The bench further stated, “In the result, the CRLMCs are allowed in part. The impugned order is modified only to the extent of substitution of the offences under Sections 302/506/201/204 of IPC by the offences under Sections 306/120-B/34 IPC. The court below is directed to proceed accordingly and to try and dispose of the case as expeditiously as possible preferably, within eight months.”
According to sources, Deba Narayan Panda was working as PA to then Malkangiri Collector Manish Agarwal and had mysteriously gone missing while on duty on May 27. His body was recovered from the Satiguda dam site the next day.
The post-mortem report disclosed the cause of death as drowning and its complications. It also revealed that the body did not have any injury or mark of violence. The viscera report indicated that no poisonous compound, alcohol and drugs could be detected.
Later, after about a year, on November 30, 2020, the wife of the deceased alleged that her husband had gone to the residence of the Collector and stayed there for nearly half an hour and returned. He again went to the residence of the Collector at 10 am and did not return.
She suspected foul play and lodged a written complaint in this connection. As per the direction of the Malkangiri SDJM, a murder case was registered against Agarwal and three others. A Crime Branch probe was also conducted into the case.
However, challenging the Malkangiri SDJM court's order, Agarwal had moved the Orissa High Court.
On being alerted, Khairaput fire personnel along with Mudulipada police reached the spot and launched a search operation to trace the missing boys.
The missing boys have been identified as Sajit and Balaram of Dindiguda village while the rescued persons have been identified as Ram, Gopal and Lacha.
According to sources, the five had gone to attend a marriage function at Andhra Pradesh’s Padalput village. On their way back home, the boat capsized near Sindiguda village.
Luckily, three of them were rescued with minor injuries while two of them have gone missing in the strong currents of the dam. The rescue team is finding it difficult to trace the missing boys due to the strong water currents in the dam.
The strong winds accompanied with heavy rain and thunderstorm left a trail of devastation in the district. Several huge trees were uprooted, thatched houses blown away and some buildings collapsed due to the natural disaster.
In a tragic incident, two labourers including a student died after a portion of the under-construction boundary wall of an airstrip collapsed following the gale accompanied with heavy rain.
The deceased student has been identified as Manoj Hembram. He had cleared Plus 2 commerce with second division, the result of which was published a couple of days back.
Manoj’s family members are crestfallen over the development. As per them, Manoj had high ambitions. After passing Plus 2, he wanted to be self-reliant to pursue his higher education.
“My brother wanted to pursue higher study with the help of his own earning and hence, he was going for work during the summer vacation. But we lost him unfortunately as the wall collapsed due to the heavy rain and wind,” said Manoj’s elder sister Sharmina.
“Manoj was very happy with his result. He informed us about it yesterday. He wanted to pursue higher education with his own earning. However, the storm took his life. After his death, his and our dreams have been shattered,” said Manoj’s sister-in-law Puja Hembram.
Apart from Manoj, another woman who lost his life due to the collapse of the wall has been identified as Tilottama Benia.
Tilottama was working on the spot along with his husband and daughter Sunita. The family was working in the airstrip to cover up the cost of Sunita’s Plus 2 admission. However, Sunita’s mother lost her life in the unfortunate accident.
As per reports, Tilottama wanted to save her from the heavy rain and storm by leaning against the wall. But, unfortunately the wall collapsed leading to her death.
“The rain and wind were very powerful. In a bid to save herself, my mother leaned against the wall. However, the wall collapsed and I lost my mother. The wall was constructed just two months back,” said Sunita.
Meanwhile, locals have demanded stern action against the contractor and officials alleging low quality work.
“Two people are dead and other two are injured not because of the accident induced by the heavy rain and wind... They have been killed due to poor quality of work. Stern action should be taken against the erring contractor and officials,” said a local resident.
In another unfortunate accident, as many as two fishermen died after a boat in which they were ferrying capsized in the Satiguda water reservoir due to heavy rain accompanied with stormy wind under the influence of Kalbaisakhi.
A team led by District Welfare Officer visited her house and assured her of all help for her future studies. The team also prepared a report and has submitted it to the District Collector for further help. The team has assured that Karama Muduli would be given assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
The determined girl who had scored 82.66 percent and topped Malkangiri in Plus II Commerce now studies in Rama Devi University in Bhubaneswar. However, she works as a daily labourer as her parents, who also work as daily wagers, are unable to afford her education.
The only government assistance her parents are receiving is a meagre old-age pension. Even as Muduli aims to crack the Civil Services Exam, financial constraint has stood as a major obstacle to her dreams. However, the girl with strong willpower and self-motivation doesn’t shy away from working as a daily labourer and is proud of her labourer parents as she knows there is no shortcut to achieving success.
Earlier, recalling her experience in Rama Devi University, Muduli said, “There are rich girls studying at the university. Seeing them, I often thought to lead a lifestyle like theirs. I wish I would eat what they ate and would wear what they wore. But then reality bites.”
“I couldn’t even afford to buy new notebooks. So, instead of writing in pen, I would write with a pencil so that I would erase them and write again,” said an emotional Muduli as she recalled her days of struggle to top Plus II Commerce in the district.
These days she works as a daily labourer under the scorching sun to meet her education cost as her parents, who work as daily wagers, are unable to afford her education. The only government assistance her parents are receiving is a meagre old-age pension.
While admitting that she is working as a daily labourer, Karma, brimming with strong willpower and self-motivation, shows no sign of shyness. Rather she has a sense of pride on her face because she knows there is no shortcut to achieving her target of cracking the Civil Services exam.
“After my Plus II results, Maira Charitable Trust came forward to help me realise my dream. They got me admitted into Rama Devi University in Bhubaneswar. But I found it a herculean task to meet the education cost as my family is very poor. With no option left, I am working as a daily labourer. I know without money I can’t fulfill my dream,” said Karma.
When asked how she spent one year in the University, her answer was more heart melting.
“At the university, there are rich girls. Seeing them I often thought to lead a lifestyle like theirs. I would eat what they are eating and I would wear what they are wearing. But then reality bites,” she added.
“Since I can’t afford to buy copies, I would write with a pencil, erase them and write again on them,” she said.
When asked if she would be able to fulfill her dream, she said, “Where there is will there is a way. If I try, I can make everything possible. In the coming days, I will definitely achieve my target of cracking the civil service exam.”
The constable has been identified as R Sreeny Naik.
The accused were nabbed with 103 kg of ganja worth around Rs 5 lakh. Two cars, three iPhones, ATM cards, PAN cards and Aadhaar cards were seized from their possession.
As per reports, Kalimela police arrested the accused persons, all from Telangana, near Kamala Padar area during night patrolling.
As per Kalimela police station IIC, the ganja was being smuggled from Malkangiri to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Kalimela police booked the seven persons under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and forwarded them to a court.
The awesome picturesque locations of Malkangiri have been grabbed by the filmmaker Sukumar for the film. The scenes shot in Malkangiri will play a crucial part in the film as ‘Pushpa’ is expected to expand his red sandalwood smuggling racket in the film.
The crew members were spotted packing up the shooting items, set supplies, different props like red sandalwood, police uniforms, weapons, and other costumes used in the film and loading on trucks as they bid adieu to Poleru village of Manyamkonda panchayat under Kalimela block where the portions of the movie were shot.
It is yet to be confirmed if the next schedule of the shooting will also be shot in other parts of Swabhiman Anchal or the crew members will leave Odisha for another location. Earlier, there were reports that the production team was planning for the next schedule in Swabhiman Anchal and exploring different locations including Hentalguda, the hanging bridge and the Saptadhara River.
However, there has been no confirmation in this regard. Earlier, there were reports that many locals, who had gone to see the shooting of the movie, bagged the golden opportunity of being part of the movie as actors.
On the other hand, the makers are leaving no stone unturned to complete all the shooting of the movie before schedule as the movie is expected to release on December 16, this year.
Sukumar, the director of the much-awaited film, reportedly visited Malkangiri’s Polur village under Kalimela police limits and carried out a recce of the terrain. Accompanied by his assistant director M Prasad, Sukumar visited all the shooting locations and overviewed the preparation for the shooting.
Necessary permission from Malkangiri District Collector and the Superintendent of Police for shooting will be taken on May 7, reports said. The Border Security Force (BSF) will also be requested to provide security service and cooperate during the shooting.
If everything goes as per plan, the shooting would commence very soon, reports added.
According to sources, a few important scenes will be shot in Polur and other nearby villages under the close watch of security forces. With massive mountain ridges and isolated tribal habitats, Malkangiri is the perfect background for the scenes required in Pushpa 2.
The excitement of Allu Arjun has reached another level ever since it has been reported that the shooting of the movie will be done in Malkangiri. The stylish star has a huge fan base in Odisha and the shooting of the movie in the state will only add to his craze.
However, it is not clear if Allu Arjun aka ‘Pushpa’ will be part of the scenes.
A few days back, Allu Arjun was spotted shooting for crucial scenes in the bordering areas of Malkangiri. This isn’t the first movie of Allu Arjun to be shot in Odisha. Earlier, the Pushpa actor’s blockbuster movie ‘Arya’ was also shot in Odisha’s Rayagada.
The tragic incident has been reported from Undurukunda village under Kalimela police limits. The deceased have been identified as Chandan and Manga of the same village.
According to sources, the two friends had climbed a tree near the village to catch a bird. In the process, both of them came in contact with an electric wire that passed through the tree, leading to the mishap.
The duo was rushed to Kalimela community health center (CHC) where doctors declared them dead upon arrival. The incident sent a shockwave in the locality.
A case of unnatural death was registered and the bodies were sent for autopsy.
Pictures of Allu Arjun in half pants and a black shirt have taken over social media. Fans are going gaga and are being reminded of Allu Arjun’s Arya 2 look with his curly hair. Once the completion of the shoot, Allu Arjun is expected to come to shoot in Malkangiri forests as well.
If reports are to be believed, the shooting will be underway at Chitrakonda Block, Swabhimaan Anchal, spillway under-construction bridge and hanging bridge, and Saptadhara in Malkangiri district.
The excitement for Pushpa 2 has leveled up among moviegoers in Odisha after reports surfaced that the movie will also be shot in Malkangiri. The stylish star has a huge fan base in Odisha and the shooting of the movie in the state will only add to his craze.
Moreover, Pushpa 2 isn’t the first movie of Allu Arjun to be shot in Odisha. Earlier, Bunny’s first blockbuster movie Arya was also shot in Odisha's Rayagada.
A few scenes of the movie where Arya is seen helping Geeta and Ajay to escape on a train while they are being chased by a group of villains were shot in Rayagada. They can be seen boarding the train at Singapur Road Junction railway station, which is located near Rayagada where the Koraput-Rayagada railway line meets the Vizianagaram-Raipur mainline.
Well, fans are eagerly waiting for Chapter 2 as the hangover of Pushpa is yet to get over. Apart from Allu Arjun, the movie also features Rashmika Mandanna in a pivotal role.
It is suspected that the explosives were hidden in the dump by the ultras with the intention of targeting the security personnel in the region.
As per official reports, one gun, 2 empty SBML shells, 11 hand grenades and 28 detonators besides 3 steel tiffin boxes and other articles have been recovered from the dump.
In January last year, the security forces recovered a huge quantity of explosives during a combing operation in the Swabhiman Anchal (Cut-off region) of Malkangiri district. The explosive dump was detected by the personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) and the District Voluntary Force (DVF).
Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Wadhwan said four tiffin bombs and 20 web belts and huge quantities of medicines were found. The security forces also had recovered a huge cache of explosives and country-made weapons from a Maoist dump ahead of the panchayat polls in the month of February last year.
Country-made guns, a Tiffin-box IED (weighing 05 Kg), 4 broken country-made pistols and revolvers, a walky-talky set and detonators were recovered from the Maoist dump.
(Reported by Jitendra Beura, OTV)
The woman, identified as Kaushalya Bhuyan, even alleged her baby was stolen from the hospital after her false claim of being pregnant come to the fore during a health check-up.
According to sources, Kaushalya lied to her husband that she was pregnant and got her name registered with the local Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) worker.
She used to visit the ANM worker every month and avail all the items supplied by the government under its welfare scheme meant for pregnant women, sources added.
However, her concocted story got exposed when she was admitted to the hospital for childbirth on Monday. However, her drama did not end there. She went on to allege that her baby went missing from the hospital.
Later, she confessed to her drama when the hospital authorities handed her over to the police. What is more surprising is that the woman was found to have undergone family planning surgery in 2017.
“I was taken to the labour room and I was told my delivery will be carried out after some time. When the nurse checked, she said my stomach has swollen due to gas,” said Kaushalya.
Kaushalya’s husband Bundu Poti said, “My wife’s ultrasound was done and they found no baby inside the womb.”
“She (Kaushalya) had already undergone family planning surgery. Then how can she become pregnant again? Her allegations of baby theft are baseless,” said Asamati Gouda, ASHA worker.
Meanwhile, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) said an investigation into the matter will be carried out and necessary action will be taken.
“When she was admitted to the hospital, the gynaecologist performed check-up and ultrasound. However, the doctor found she was not pregnant. The lady too had a family planning operation in 2017. An inquiry will be carried out and necessary action will be initiated against whoever is found guilty,” said Dr Prafulla Kumar Nanda, Malkangiri CDMO.
(Reported by Jitendra Beura, OTV)
Basanti, who was deputed at Malkangiri College on Sunday, not only provided all necessary help to an Odisha Police Constable Recruitment Examination aspirant but also took care of the latter’s four-month-old daughter like a mother.
According to sources, one Chanchala Mallick came to the examination centre with her four-month-old daughter. However, no one from the family could accompany her to take care of the infant during the examination.
When Chanchala was losing her hope, Basanti came out of the blues and took the baby in her lap paving the way for the aspirant to sit in the examination to fulfill her dreams.
The lady constable took care of the infant till the completion of the examination. Moreover, the cop did not hesitate to breastfeed the crying infant to calm the baby down.
“A lady with her four-month-old baby came to Malkangiri College to appear in the Odisha Police Constable Recruitment Examination. No one accompanied the aspirant to take care of the baby. So after taking permission from my officer, I approached the aspirant and offered her help,” said Basanti.
“The baby was with me for more than one hour. When the baby girl felt hungry, I even breastfed her. Later, I handed over the infant to the aspirant’s mother who reached the examination centre later in the day,” the lady constable added.
Moved by the lady constable’s move, Malkangiri police heaped praise on her.
Taking to Twitter, the Malkangiri Police wrote, “A candidate appearing for Constable (civil) recruitment examination today at Malkangiri was overwhelmed when Constable Basanti Chowdhary, deputed at the venue, took care of her infant baby while she was appearing for the exam. Kudos to both.”
A candidate appearing for Constable (civil) recruitment examination today at Malkangiri was overwhelmed when Constable Basanti Chowdhary, deputed at the venue, took care of her infant baby while she was appearing for the exam. Kudos to both. @digswrkoraput @DGPOdisha #womenpower pic.twitter.com/WbumtB8U7X
— Malkangiri Police (@spmalkangiri) February 26, 2023
Replying to the Tweet, one user praised the lady cop and wrote, “She is not a constable. She is a mother. Constable is just a badge she has accepted today & might remove tomm. How happy she looks.”
(Reported by Jitendra Beura, OTV)
As per reports, in a symbolic gesture, the supporters of the controversial Sarathi Baba, have been offering worship to a pair of shoes (Kathau/Paduka) as a representation of him. Sources informed that the procession will carry the pair of shoes across the district in a bid to garner support for Sarathi baba.
A follower of Sarathi said, "He is like God to us. We worship him and do not feel any need to prove our devotion to others."
This is the end of Kali Yuga. So we are spreading the religion everywhere. All doubts which have been created against Baba Sarathi in the minds of people, are all lies," said anothet devotee.
In the video, followers of Sarathi could be seen placing the photo of him on a pedestal, doing yajna and offering ‘puja’ with flowers and sandalwood paste. They were also seen offering a mass prayer.
In July 2019, the Orissa High Court granted bail to the self-styled godman Sarathi in a case registered by Crime Branch of the Odisha Police, around four years after he was arrested on August 7, 2015.
As per the conditions put forth by the HC, Sarathi cannot visit Barimula or Kendrapara. He is not allowed to take out a procession after being released from jail, the court ordered. Besides, Sarathi has to inform the investigating officer (IO) where he is staying.
(Reported By Jitendra Beura, OTV)
The stampede occurred on Tuesday night during Malyabanta Mahotsav, the annual cultural event of the district. A huge rush during the festival led to the situation, sources said.
As per sources, more than 40,000 people gathered at the DNK Ground to enjoy the cultural programme organised on the last day of the five-day festival.
As the DNK Ground has a capacity to accommodate 20,000 to 30,000 people, the huge crowd led to a stampede leaving at least three injured. The injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital. Their condition was stated to be stable.
Sources said Malkangiri Malyabanta was organised in the district after two years of the Covid gap. The five-day festival was formally inaugurated by Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick at Malyabanta Mandap at DNK Ground.
Singers Asima Panda and Mantu Chhuria performed on the last night of the festival.
It can be mentioned here that one person had died and as many as 20 suffered critical injuries in a stampede on the Gopinathpur-Badamba T Bridge in Athagarh, Cuttack on Saturday.
As per sources, there was a huge rush on the bridge which connects Singhanath shrine located in the middle of the Mahanadi River on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The stampede took place when the devotees were negotiating along the bridge.
(Reported by Jitendra Beura, OTV)
Another Budhia Singh from Odisha seems to be in offing. Meet child athlete Rudra Sethi from Malkangiri who has also shown Budhia-like marathon running spirit.
Six-year-old Rudra has stunned one and all from his area by running 17 kilometers at a stretch. The wonder kid achieved the feat during the Mini Marathon organised for ‘Malyabantha Mahostava’ in Malkangiri on Thursday.
Rudra didn’t achieve the feat just in one day. He has been practicing running from three years. Running is Rudra’s passion. He used to practice running up to six kilometers every morning after waking up from bed.
“I really enjoyed the mini marathon and covered 17 kilometres distance during the event,” said Rudra.
Rudra’s family members are hopeful that, the kid will represent the Indian team in the future.
“We have discovered another Budhia Singh in form of Rudra in Malkangiri. He is our pride and the main attraction of the mini marathon. The kid has inspired one and all with his long-distance running. Nobody knows that the little kid may be another Olympiad from India in the coming days,” said an organiser of the mini marathon.
The emerging marathon runner is currently training under coach D Rabindra who happens to be his grandfather.
“I am proud of Rudra’s feat. He is practicing running every morning and evening. He is a bright prospect. I request the district Collector to extend helping hands for the development of sports in the area,” said Rabindra.
(Reported by Jitendra Beura)
According to sources, these teachers were posted at different schools across the district. After serving for a few days, they stopped going to their respective schools. They continued to be on leave without informing their superiors. They being the government service holders, they must inform their superiors regarding the cause of their absence and when they will join their duties.
Finding them going on leave for such a long period without any application, the department had served show cause notices to them. The department followed it up with several such notices. Newspaper advertisements were also published. But it seemed none of them took it seriously as they didn’t respond.
Consequently, going to take action against these truant teachers, the District Education Officer (DEO) fired them from their jobs. None of these teachers could be contacted for their comments on the action taken against them.
(Reported by JItendra Beura from Malkangiri, OTV)
The deceased has been identified as Surendra Bhagat, working as a Havildar and the accused as Purushotam Singh.
According to sources, both Bhagat and Singh were deployed at PG College in the Kanker district headquarters to guard the electronic voting machines (EVMs). The machines were kept at the college for the by-election.
Singh had applied for leave some days ago. On the ground of ill health, he had got his leaves sanctioned as well. They had a quarrel over leave on Sunday morning. The scene turned ugly when Singh lost his cool and opened fire at Bhagat from his service INSAS rifle, giving little time for the latter to escape.
Bhagat dropped dead on the spot. After committing the crime, Singh went into the strong room and sat there. On being informed, police in bulletproof jackets reached the spot and nabbed the accused.
On the other hand, after the post-mortem, the body was sent to the deceased’s ancestral village. Registering a case, the police have launched an investigation.
The cocks have been tied with ropes at police station after they were caught attacking each other with sharp knives as per instruction of their owners.
According to reports, police raided a cockfight den at Dumaliguda village. Four gamblers were arrested in this connection while the two cocks were also taken into custody. The gamblers have been identified as Ramachandra Madhi, Dhana Gadeli, Bandhu Madkami and Trinath Matam, all local residents.
Police also seized some sharp weapons used in the cockfight. “Acting on a tip off, we raided the area where illegal cockfight and gambling was underway. Four persons were arrested and two cocks have been detained in this connection,” said Malkangiri police station OIC.
While the rooster owners have been forwarded to court, the two cocks that were seized are now in custody at Malkangiri police station.
“We are looking for a caretaker who can take care of the roosters. The cocks will be handed over to the caretaker soon,” he added.
Illegal cockfight and gambling activities are rampant in some pockets of tribal infested Malkangiri during paddy harvesting season.
“Raids will continue to curb all illegal activities,” said another police official.
"All our crops were rainfed, but we still received good yields. We sold the surplus at local weekly markets and bartered some for essential goods. However, climate change made things unpredictable," said Dhanurjaya Khila of Kadamguda in Korkunda block.
Farmers started incurring losses due to erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells. "We slowly lost faith in agriculture. Many migrated to Andhra Pradesh for work," said Arjun Khila, another farmer.
Dhanurjaya and Arjun represent hundreds of thousands of farmers, who struggle to cope with the rising temperature, heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides.
To strengthen farmers' resilience and livelihood security, the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with local civil societies such as Sisu O Mahila Kalyana Samiti (SOMKS) and Parivartan launched a community-driven micro-irrigation programme, supported under the Special Programme for Promotion of Integrated Farming (SPPIF), in 2019-20.
The system provided water to 651 acres and benefited 295 tribal farmers spread across Tekguda village in Khairput block, Chitapari III and Totaguda in Korkunda, and Potitang, Themrupali and Batriatal in Malkangiri block.
Group discussions were organised with farmers to identify major water deficit areas. The agriculture department's technical team comprising engineers and soil conservationists identified and marked certain areas in their farms that required irrigation.
"Based on our study, water deficit areas in farms were converted into water outlets," said Soumya Ranjan Majhi, an engineer with SPPIF, Malkangiri. Each outlet covered three to five acres, to which water from natural streams was carried using pipeline distribution networks. Water was then redirected through drip irrigation to those areas where crops were cultivated. Earlier, people used to flood the entire farm, which led to wastage of water.
Also, a cadre of community resource persons in the role of pump-cum-valve operators was created. The village water user committee (VWUC) members appointed the operator for a monthly payment of Rs 2,000. One such operator, Jalandar Dalapati regularly inspects the functioning of motor and pipeline networks, and informs engineers if something is amiss.
"Every drop of water is precious. We have sensitised farmers not to over-irrigate. They mostly think it will spur plant growth, instead it leads to waterlogging, leaches away soil nutrients, and reduces soil fertility," said Jagabandhu Hantal, pump-cum-valve operator in Totaguda.
Chameleon soil water sensors, which mimic a plant to understand how much water is present in the soil, were installed to monitor water level in the root zone of plants. Based on the colour code - red (irrigation highly essential), green (water needed in two to three days) and blue (water sufficient) - farmers decided when to irrigate their fields. The sensor arrays were inserted below the ground level at a depth of 15 cm, 30 cm and 45 cm to read water availability data.
"Besides access to irrigation, promoting community stewardship in water management and governance is critical for ensuring long-term sustainability," said Aniket Likhar, District Project Officer, SPPIF, Malkangiri.
All villages under the micro-irrigation system have functional VWUCs. The husband and wife of each benefiting household are its members, so there are 30 to 50 members in a given village.
Villagers elect the VWUC president, secretary and treasurer. The president looks after overall governance and water management, while the secretary coordinates meetings with farmers and monitors timely water delivery. The treasurer collects and manages user fees deposited in bank accounts. If there is a grievance, a farmer can reach out to the president and secretary.
Tekguda VWUC president Chandrasen Madhi said they collected Rs 100 per month from each household as user fee and deposited it in the VWUC's bank account as an emergency fund to deal with machinery glitches and repairs. The VWUC members charge a fine of Rs 50, if they find cases of excess water use during their routine inspections.
The VWUC bars monocropping. Meetings to assess seed availability and decide on the crops to be grown are organised during kharif and rabi seasons, according to Totaguda VWUC president Lakhmi Khara. Decisions are unanimous, mostly based on suggestions from elderly farmers and guidance from department staff. The block agriculture officer (BAO) visits tribal villages to provide technical inputs from time to time.
Pulses and millets are preferred crops as they need less water and have higher Minimum Support Prices (MSPs). "Special focus was given to revive traditional crops, including pulses, millets and tubers, as they are climate resilient, highly nutritious and a part of the local food culture," said Chief District Agriculture Officer Nandagiri Ramkrishna Hayagreeva.
With farmers' help, agriculture department officials have identified seeds with high yield potential and water resilience, to help select the most promising varieties suitable for the local climate, the soil and the hilly terrain.
"For years, tribal women have been conserving seeds of finger millets, foxtail millets, little millets, paddy, black gram, red gram and green gram in earthen pots," said Manjula Sisa, the sarpanch of Somnathpur panchayat in Korkunda.
"Before the launch of micro-irrigation system, we grew only dangar dhano (upland paddy) during rainy season," said Bhagirathi Madhi, who used to migrate from Tekguda to Andhra Pradesh to work in a brick kiln for Rs 400 per day.
However, in the last two years, Bhagirathi planted red gram, green gram, black gram, finger millet, groundnut, sesame and tubers twice a year. "I now earn around Rs 25,000 from groundnuts, Rs 15,000 from millets, Rs 8,000 from pulses, Rs 6,000 from sesame and Rs 4,000 from tubers," he says proudly.
Farmers also practise rotational cropping in each season to boost soil fertility and water-retention capacity. "After harvesting paddy and finger millet, we sow green, red and black gram seeds as they use up the leftover soil moisture," said Subarna Khara of Totaguda.
Papaya, drumstick and guava serve as farm fencing. "These trees provide shade to the crops and act as a barrier against wind. Their deep root systems help in soil conservation and moisture retention," said Lachma Kurami at Batriatal.
Lachma grows pumpkin, bitter gourd, ridge gourd and bottle gourd around her farm fencing. In winters, she earns around Rs 1,500 per week by selling creeper varieties. In summers, demand is more and supply is less. "This time, I earned around Rs 3,000 a week," she said.
"Micro-irrigation has decreased water requirement and fertiliser cost," said Nigamananda Behera, an agronomist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Malkangiri. Mixed cropping reduced topsoil run-off during rains, thus improving soil fertility and yield.
"I now harvest eight quintals of groundnut per acre, against the earlier five," said Laki Madhi of Tekguda. Under mixed and intercropping methods, the vegetable yield is also up from around 150 kg per cent (0.1 acres) to over 300 kg.
Similarly, Ghasi Kirsani of Chitapari III is harvesting around six quintals of green and red gram per acre against the earlier three. From Rs 8,000 a year, her income has increased to around Rs 20,000 during each cropping season of kharif and rabi.
For the first time, farmers are selling finger millet at MSP in local markets. Anganwadis procure little millet in Mathili block to provide nutritious meals under the Integrated Child Development Scheme.
According to Khairput BAO Hemant Kumar Padhiari, better yield has helped farmers to switch from a cereal-centric diet to a diverse food basket. "We used to spend Rs 700 per week to buy vegetables, but it hardly lasted for a week," recalled Laxmi Hantal, whose family now saves that money and consumes more varieties of vegetables.
"This model has the potential to scale up in other tribal villages. Our field assessment has found that around 800 acres are suitable for micro-irrigation in Talaguda, Darduruguda, Khadikajodi, Kandhaguda and Semiliguda villages," said Manaswini Mohapatra, Assistant Agriculture Officer, Malkangiri block.
According to the locals, people suffering from the unknown disease complained of swelling on the hands, legs and face. They felt so weak that they became bed-ridden. After getting bed-ridden for 15 days, they succumbed to the disease.
Koraput district witnessed two deaths a few days back and one more succumbed to the disease on Friday.
The deceased was taken to Ramagiri hospital initially. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Baipariguda hospital. Again doctor referred him to Koraput District Headquarters Hospital. However, he succumbed to the disease on his way to the hospital, revealed sources.
The exact reason behind the deaths is yet to be ascertained. A team of doctors from Ramgiri reportedly reached the village to conduct examination. Also, a seven-member team will reach the village to take stock of the situation shortly, sources said.
Last year, the said disease had claimed six lives in Koraput alone.
The residents of Mathili in Malkangiri district are also spending sleepless nights after the unknown disease claimed seven lives (including one on Saturday) in the last 10 days.
Swelling hands and legs are the initial symptoms followed by fever leading to the deaths, said relatives of the victims.
Meanwhile, a team of doctors has reached the village and started providing treatment to the ailing patients.
Despite being affected by the disease, patients are declining to get treated at hospital because they have developed a misconception that getting treated at hospital will lead to death.
Therefore, instead of getting treated at the hospital, the villagers are opting for treatment by village quacks which is further worsening their health conditions.
When contacted, health expert Narayan Mishra said, “In last few days many persons have got affected by the unknown disease in the two districts. After suffering from swollen legs and hands, they complained of fever before death. From this, we are sure that it’s not bacterial infection but viral infection. We have to provide supportive treatment. It is wrong to assume that people die after getting admitted to hospital. A person gets admitted to hospital only when his condition deteriorates.”
Swabhiman Anchal’s image has changed with ultras joining mainstream of society every year. Attracted by government’s welfare schemes, the militia members gave up weapons to join mainstream of society and spent quality time with their families, police sources revealed.
Irked over the unabated Maoist violence in their localities and after being sandwiched between the police and the Maoists, the villagers preferred to surrender before the police, sources added.
Malkangiri SP and BSF DIG gave them a warm welcome and presented gifts for joining the mainstream of the society.
Apart from giving slogan ‘Maobadi Murdabad, the militia members burnt effigies of ultras and took oath not to join Red rebels ever.
Praising the efforts of militia activists, BSF DIG SK Sinha said, “They have taken a good step. By doing so they not only helped themselves but helped their families and the localities they belong to. BSF police, state government and Central government must be given credit for it. Many developmental projects in their region like school construction of school building and construction of mobile tower will be carried out speedily without delay.”
A surrendered Maoist supporter said, “We are really happy after joining the mainstream. We have never supported the state government. From now towards, we would always extend our support to government. The government is really doing needful for us. So, we would love to work for our village.”
Another lady ultra supporter said, “A meeting was held in which we were felicitated and women Maoist supporters were given sarees. It was a great moment for us.”
Malkangiri superintendent Nitesh Wadhwani said, “Earlier, this area had witnessed many Maoist activities till April end. Now, this region hardly registers naxal-related incidents because villagers have developed faith on state government over the period. They believe that the state government is helping them. The government is coming up with school, hospital and road for their wellbeing.”
Giving more information about it, Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Kumar Bansal tweeted, “After surrender of 295 Maoists supporters before the police on 11.06.2022 another 500 of Ralegada GP, surrendered before the Malkangiri Police & @BSF today. They were motivated by developmental works of Odisha Govt.”
As per reports, all of the victims had slept at the eatery in the Andhra-Odisha bordering area at night. When they woke up in the morning, to their utter dismay they found themselves marooned.
After receiving information, fire department officials rushed to the spot and rescued them with the help of a motor boat. According to officials, the four youths belong to Angul.
Though the downpour has stopped, the situation of Motu area in Malkangiri district remains same.
Several parts of the district are reeling under floods after backwaters from river Godavari in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh inundated villages and farmlands.
As rivers Saberi and Sileru are flowing above the danger mark, several people have been evacuated from low-lying areas.
Hundreds of trucks were stranded as floodwater is flowing at a height of 10ft on the National Highway-326 (NH). Vehicular movement has been disrupted between Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana folllowing the development.
As per reports, at least three villages -- Binayakpur, Alama and Peta have been completed inundated in the flood with locals suffering and wading through the waters to reach to safety.
The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has alerted district Collectors to keep a constant vigil on the developments that may take place due to heavy rainfall in different parts of Odisha.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rainfall in most places across Odisha and heavy to very heavy rainfall in some parts of the State.
Hundreds of trucks were stranded as floodwater flowed at a height of 10ft on the National Highway-326 (NH), disrupting vehicular movement between Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Three villages of old Motu area are now left inundated.
Similarly, around 6 to 7 villages in Motu area also submerged in floodwaters. People are being shifted to safer places with the help of boats by the administration.Several parts of the district are reeling under floods after backwaters from river Godavari in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh inundated villages and farmlands.
Locals attributed the flood like situation in Motu area to the reverse flow of water from Polavaram project.
Locals fear parts of Malkangiri might remain under water if the under construction Polavaram project is completed. Once the project is completed, Sileru and Saberi rivers will swell as Godavari water will not be released, reports added.
“Steps should be taken immediately to rehabilitate the residents from the flood affected areas before situation becomes serious,” locals said.
Meanwhile, narrating their ordeal, a local resident said, “More than 30-40 cows have been swept away in the floodwaters. Chicken are taking shelter on trees. The situation is so grim that the water level is increasing every two hours.”
“Many of us don’t have food, medicine, rice or anything. There are so many sugar patients among the truck drivers. We need immediate help,” lamented a truck driver.
“Backwaters from river Godavari in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh inundated villages and farmlands. Over 80 families have been affected and 16 houses have been submerged under the water,” Maheswar Nayak, additional district magistrate, Malkangiri.
Similarly, former engineer Ramesh Chandra Tripathy said, “The Polavaram project is underway. The gates are open because the project is yet to be completed. Even as the sluice gates are open, it has caused floods here. Imagine what will be the situation once the project is complete and the gates are closed. So, the government should take immediate steps to rehabilitate the people from Motu area.”