People in the  cholera-hit Koraput and Rayagara districts feel that this was a disaster waiting to happen due to the apathy of the state government which failed to provide for the two basic necessities – healthcare and safe drinking water – to poor tribals despite repeated assurances.

The killer cholera has already claimed nearly 200 people in many areas of the two tribal-dominated southern Orissa districts.

Two blocks — Dasmantpur in Koraput district and Kashipur in neighbouring Rayagara district — have been the worst hit.

The official death figure is expected to go up as patients are still arriving at different health centres from interior areas. The authorities’ negligence to wards healthcare related services to the tribals could be assessed from the situation in Dasmantpur block where   cholera has already claimed nearly 60 lives. 

The Primary Health Centre (PHC) at the block headquarters has four doctors’ posts – that of  a medical officer, one assistant surgeon, one paediatrician and one gynaecologist.

Post vacant
However, if sources in the block are to be believed, all the posts were laying vacant at the time cholera hit the area. Similarly, four out of five posts of nurses are yet to be filled up.

In Dasmantpur block and adjoining areas people largely depend on rivers and small streams to collect drinking water though crores of rupees are being spent in the area to provide safe drinking water to the local tribals.
Dasmantpur block is also known as an “anthrax prone” zone. Anthrax claims many lives in different villages in the block every year.

What is more disturbing is that Koraput and Rayagara districts, the epicentres of current cholera outbreak which has already spread to some other neighbouring districts like Kalahandi, are part of KBK(Korpaut-Bolangir-Kalahandi) region, one of the most backward regions in the country, for which both central as well as the state governments have been declaring special financial packages and schemes at regular intervals.
The cholera outbreak has once again exposed the fact that the poor tribals have not benefited much from these schemes. 

Blame game
A blame game has already begun between the ruling BJD-BJP government in the state and the UPA government over the outbreak with Union Health Minister Ramdoss criticising the state government for its failure in handling the situation and a section of the ruling alliance in the state making a counter attack.

The state unit of the Congress has also called for an Orissa bundh over the issue on September 10.