KOHALPUR, Jan 3: The dipping temperature has started to take a serious toll on health of flood victims living in makeshift tents set up near jungle areas. Children and elderly people living in these settlements scattered in the jungle area of Kohalpur are the worst affected. The flood victims have been living in these make shift tents since the past four months after being displaced by floods.
“I am sick since four days. I have become very weak. All my family members are sick, too,” said Ram Bilash Harijan. “Almost everyone in the area has been complaining of fever, cold, cough, and sore throats. Children and elderly people are even in worse condition,” he added.
Harijan formerly lived in Khallajhagadiya village of Raptisonari-7. But after being displaced by floods in August he started living in a community forest nearby his village along with many others.
Earthquake victims struggling against cold
With no health posts nearby their settlement nor the necessary funds for travelling to distant health posts for treatment, they are urging the government for availing medical assistance. “There are no health posts near our settlements and we don’t have money to travel to distant medical facilities. It would be better if the government could provide medical assistance nearby,” he said.
Another flood victim, Pattilal Maurya urged the government to avail firewood to them for keeping their families warm. Even though they are living near jungles, managing firewood is challenging for them, he said.
“Everyone in the settlements is suffering from the increasing cold. Since we don’t have warm clothes or firewood to save our families from the growing winter cold, it would be nice if government provided us firewood, at least,” Maurya said. He further added that some children and elders were suffering from asthma also.
Apart from the distance that they have to travel, he said that most of the locals don’t want to travel to distant health posts because they don’t have medicines or doctors. “Why to walk such a long distance for visiting a health post that does not have medicine or doctor. Even if we feel the urge to visit sometimes, thinking of the dejections we let it go,” he stated.
Cold in the district has been increasing since the last few days. Flood victims have urged authorities concerned to provide necessary support for surviving the cold.
Chief District Officer, Ramesh Kumar KC stated that the government has been preparing to address the concerns of flood victims and others. “We are making necessary arrangements to provide relief materials to flood victims and others to save them from the increasing cold,” he said.
