Balasore, July 2: As devastating floods continue to submerge in large parts of Odisha’s Balasore district, thousands of residents remain stranded without adequate relief, raising serious concerns about administrative response, locals said on Wednesday.

The situation has been exacerbated by the absence of key officials, including 35 Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officers, who are reportedly on mass leave as part of a protest over the recent assault on Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo.

In Bhograi block’s Pontei panchayat, villagers have been marooned for over five days due to the overflowing Subarnarekha River. More than 60 villages across 10 panchayats in Bhograi and five panchayats in Baliapal block are waterlogged. With food and drinking water in short supply, residents are relying solely on government relief—which, they say, has been slow and insufficient.

Local voices like Sushanta Majhi and Umakanta Behera from Pontei expressed frustration over the lack of ground-level support. “Not a single BDO or Tehsildar has visited us. We are left to fend for ourselves,” said one resident.

The absence of administrative officers has sparked public outrage. Despite the district administration’s earlier directive to cancel all leaves amid the flood emergency, 12 BDOs, 12 Tehsildars, and even a Sub-Collector remain on leave, according to local sources. Their absence has severely hampered relief distribution and flood management efforts.

Former sarpanch Nishikanta Sahu and resident Harekrushna Jena questioned the commitment of these officers, stating that their decision to remain on leave during a natural disaster reflects poorly on their sense of duty.

Meanwhile, the district continues to battle rising water levels, damaged infrastructure, and growing health concerns. Relief efforts are underway, but the lack of coordination and manpower is proving to be a major bottleneck.

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