Kerala floods: 500 odias return in special trains

BERHAMPUR:  More than 500 Odia workers, who were stranded in different parts of flood-ravaged Kerala, arrived here by special trains on Tuesday. Out of four trains engaged to bring back the Odia people from Kerala, Ernakulam-Santragachi special train was first to arrive at Berhampur railway station at 1.30 pm. After undergoing a harrowing time, the returnees were visibly relieved to have reached the home State while they were received by equally jubilant relatives.

Remaining without proper food for several days, they rushed to the Aahar centre in front of the railway station soon after their arrival. They had lost all their belongings in the flood and managed to come back with only what they were wearing. Later, they left for their respective native places. They said they were stranded at their work sites for a week as they were unable to move out due to torrential rain and subsequent flood. However, they were shifted to a safer place by a rescue team. On Sunday, they managed to reach Ernakulam railway station where they were provided food packets and told to board the special train for Odisha.

According to sources, over 1,000 people from coastal villages of Ganjam district had left for Kerala and were engaged at construction sites, stone quarry and boat manufacturing units. Apart from migrant labourers from Ganjam, those from Kandhamal and Nayagarh also alighted from the train here.