Kendrapada: Nearly 500 residents of Charigharia village, under the Satabhaya gram panchayat, have refused to take shelter in the nearby cyclone facility at Okilapala, even as Cyclone Dana batters the state. The villagers, determined to highlight their demands for land pattas and basic amenities, are willing to risk their lives. After the sarpanch failed to convince the villagers to move to safer areas, Rajnagar BDO Nisan Mitra assured them of immediate action.
“Upon learning of the situation, we instructed our nodal officer to ensure the immediate relocation of all Charigharia villagers to cyclone shelter,” said Mitra. Most of Charigharia’s residents are fisherfolk and farmers, and poverty is widespread, according to Parikhita Mandal (82), a resident of the village. TNN