By Ashok Dash, Bhubanewar: Smart city Bhubaneswar is marked by a tendency of self-centeredness and increasing individualism in last some years. However, cyclone “Fani” has brought about a new change to the people’s lives. It witnessed increasing community cohesiveness and brotherhood among the residents.
Extremely severe cyclone “Fani” devastated many parts of coastal Odisha on 3rd May 2019. Not only that the environmental, financial losses were huge, but the challenges in coordination and management of the post-disaster scenario – restoration of power, electricity, drinking water, emergency healthcare, railways, roadways and solid waste management in an extremely adverse weather condition were huge for the administration. Star campaigners of general election, which was completed in Odisha just four days before, literally vanished. The candidates in fray for the MLA and MP seats who were seen campaigning door-to-door seeking votes suddenly became invisible in the post-disaster scenario. Nearly no one was seen coming to devastated community offering help. The national focus on such massive and wide spread devastation also faded fast. But one thing was seen fast emerging and still continuing, and that is the synergy of common people to tackle the post-disaster situation.
Just after the cyclone, almost all citizen of Bhubaneswar were on an equal status. No water, no electricity and no communication. The rich and poor were seen helping each other to collect drinking water, repair and reorganize the living places and cleaning roads to restore connectivity. Bhubaneswar, which has seen rash and competing driving and often road rages in normal days, was totally changed on the very next day of the cyclone. People driving vehicles, had to drive slowly and they were very respectful to each other, allowing the other vehicle to pass safely.
The smart city is also called the multi-cuisine food hub of India, by many tourists nationally, usually caters to the need of varieties of food for different categories of customers. But post – Fani people were seen gathering at roadside food joints and feeling lucky to have a bite of “whatever is available”. The usually thankless citizens, after losing electricity for 8 days in peak hot summer, were very thankful to god for the famous Bhubaneswar afternoon- breeze.
No mobile and no internet changed the behavior of people that made them to look up, feel the physical world, smile at neighbours, start to have a chat and then sitting together either for a round of cards, ludoo or some “in-door at out-door” games. In absence of regular night-watchman, people from the slums and middle-class households coordinated with each other for guarding the area in the dark nights. Many people, who were completely ignorant about their neighbour’s existence, were seen practicing a perfect batter system of economy with their neighbours and they were happy about it. Many middle class and elite citizen also seen exploring how exactly the labour class can manage the cheap liquor without ice!
People of the smart city who are acquainted with a quick response from fire brigades, ambulance and police, managed every aspect lives by themselves without these facilities. Lakhs of fruit bearing trees like mango, banana, coconut, jack fruit were uprooted but the fruits were fairly distributed by the nearby houses or even offered to neighbours. It could be a supply more than demand situation; scene was very satisfying.
In places like Ganga Nagar, near Governor’s house people started community eating areas with bare minimum items. Everyone contributed to his or her best; some with money, some with products, some with labour. It seemed like a community feast; all sat, ate together and cleaned together. The middle-class people who would not eat without non-vegetarian curry or Paneer and a slum dweller who usually eats “rice-dalma” in a “Aahar” centre, felt that the food they just had with the community was immensely satisfying! Busy citizens who usually don’t care even an accident or wounded person on the road were eagerly fixing the hanging wires, which would otherwise hit vehicles. Many educated mass seen handling accounts at extremely over crowded food joints and serve people. And the service was absolutely contributory. Many started helping out clearing traffic congestion in their own areas in absence of traffic lights and police.
With all offices closed, people had time to play with their children, do some necessary physical labour like lifting water from the ground storage to the first floor! People forgot their political affiliations during such community engagements, probably realizing that not the politicians, for whom they were sloganeering before four days, but their own neighbours have come to their help and rescue.
Many people promised to regularly contribute to the community and society in this crucial time in some way of other and they were feeling proud about it! What a great social change!!
It’s said, if something can’t kill us, it will make us stronger. That’s the thumb rule of survival. But the people of the smart city have proved that they are really smart and they can survive with any disaster coming upon them. Nothing can shake their moral, determination and stability, as long as they are together.
“Fani” came for a while but changed the concept of life for us. The lesson is: Alone we are fine, but together we are fabulous!
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Ashok Dash is a software professional staying in Ganga Nagar, Bhubaneswar. The opinion expressed is personal. He can be reached through e mail: [email protected]
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