The plight of people living in Odisha’s first sea-erosion-affected rehabilitation colony in the Kendrapara district has come under National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)’s scanner with the top rights panel asking the Collector to furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) to ameliorate poor living condition of the oustees.

Acting on a petition moved by the human rights lawyer, Radhakanta Tripathy, the Commission issued notice and sought for the ATR within four weeks.

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The 12-kilometer-long stretch beach at Satabhaya Gram Panchayat in the Kendrapara district is stated to be the ‘fastest-eroding’ beach on the state’s long coast. More than 600 homes and large tracts of agricultural land were gobbled up by the advancing waters in the last 40 years.

Satabhaya panchayat used to be a cluster of seven villages. Now, only a little portion of Satabhaya remains. Six other villages – Gobindapur, Mohanpur, Chintamanipur, Badagahiramatha , Kanhupur, and Kharikula – have been swallowed by the hungry sea.

As many as 571 sea-erosion hit families were finally rehabilitated in Bagapatia Rehabilitation colony in 2008 around 11 kilometers from the sea. But most of the rehabilitated people continue to live in low-lying areas in dire conditions with inadequate housing, lack of basic amenities, such as safe drinking water, sanitation, healthcare, and education, violating their fundamental human rights.

Bagapatia is the first rehabilitation colony for the climate refugees in India. But the residents of Bagapatia have been struggling to get bare necessities and basic amenities till date. The children of the rehabilitation colony are deprived of education due lack of staff and infrastructure including lack of teachers in the school.

The rehabilitation colony turns into a virtual pool during rain, reflecting poorly on the area’s drainage system. The rainwater accumulates on the roads, creating problems for the people. Even moderate rainfall for about one hour at a stretch floods houses in the low-lying areas of the rehabilitation colony due to lack of proper drainage system.

The petitioner urged the NHRC to send a team of officials to investigate the case in an independent and impartial manner and recommend the chief Secretary of the State to ensure pucca strong houses to all the villagers, proper medical care to the villagers, all weather road connectivity so that ambulance and fire brigade can reach Bagapatia.