Super Cyclone, part II.

Aftermath of Super cyclone 1999.

(Memoir)

Those thirty-six hours of Super cyclone came to an end on thirtieth October morning. The local people who took shelter with us went back to take care of their damaged houses. Sarita, could come back. She came with whatever food packets she could collect from hostel and from only store opened on her way. Soham and I were relieved. Soon I left to enquire about my duty in Labour room, to collect more food and petrol anywhere.

Outside the scene looked devastated. The trees old or young were broken or uprooted. Small shops, poles, hoardings and all signboards looked like their own ghosts. Our place, closer to ring road area was relatively dry. Cuttack, for the ring road, no more suffered from invading flood, thanks to Baimundi, Markata Keshari and Basanta Biswal, all historical persons. Stagnant water with poor drainage makes Cuttack, "Benga mutile banya ( It floods when a frog urinated)". The central areas of Cuttack were submerged up to first floor. Amount of rainfall was unimaginable. And beyond Cuttack, what would have been the condition in the vast Odisha coast!!

Soon, news through radios poured in, multiplied with the usual rumors. Those were bigger things for our concern than our immediate tasks.

I reached the labour room. Those who were on evening/night shift duty on 28th of October were still inside, waiting their relievers. There was no power supply. The generators were out of fuel running long hours. Torch lights somehow collected new batteries. The emergency duty protocol was modified to combat the war like situations. We the in-service students were expected to be sent to highly affected areas. On that day, my duty was from two pm. I hurriedly left the department and soon found me on a long queue of bikes at Palamandap filling station to collect only two litres of rationed petrol given by hand operation. Not a single hotel opened on that day. I reached home with some more packets, those started catching price and going out of stocks. We had no cookware at Cuttack. Hostel messes dependent on daily marketing remained closed. Sarita collected potable water in between.

We managed with food packets. I exactly do not recollect how she managed her duty.

I reported at my duty in time. One new patient I received as a student. Her example would be a prototype of the overall situation. She was a sister in law of a staff nurse, came from the interior of Jagatsinghpur, which district was the center of the super cyclone, when it touched the coast. She went to Labour on 28th evening. She had to come through chest deep water for some hours. She was later carried on shoulder of people. She almost travelled fifty odd kilometers that said how human struggle is the most extreme amongst species although it is more tender and luxurious than other mammals. She was faintly breathing in a condition of shock. Needless to say, the fetus was dead and the uterus was quiet as it ruptured with its own efforts to expel the baby that was not possible with the abnormal fetal presentation. We started resuscitating her. They arranged three litres of kerosene, two units of blood. We cannot imagined how difficult the task was. And for a common public having no acquaintance! The woman survived. Our professor, in cooperation of a senior anaesthetist did her operation. (Later on when I returned from my Cyclone duty for a week, she had developed serious complication and subsequently died after 28th days.)

I came back in the night. The ground floor tenet served cooked food only for Soham as they too had problems.

We still were unable to get the information from my home or that from in laws. Before the cellphone age people presumed everyone safe till a definite news came.

Next day Ajanta hotel at the Kathagola square opened. They prepared; rice, dal and potato fry. The owner a long known person begged excuse that they cooked with a little amount of water and improper washing of rice, dal and potato.

They did not keep any supernatant to decant. The fry and the dal looked visibly dirty, as did the rice. He gave enough amounts of all considering the hunger and craving for cooked food. He felt sorry to charge high. We could not throw away the food even if these were sandy to chew and looked bad. We doctors told ourselves, cooking must have killed germs.

In the evening, I tried the only second opened restaurant at Mangalabag, named after the three deities of our culture, whose popularity among students was powered with alcohol. Obviously alcohol or Tandoori Nan was not on his menu. He also served Rice, dal an Chana masala as the only items. The decently dressed well-presented plump owner with a decorative tilak was at his best to talk Godly things, about cyclone, suffering, duty, help and conscience. He cursed the other eateries who hiked their price and was happy to serve at his usual price. His prices in normal days were higher than ordinary hotels, still then his words gained my appreciation. I ordered four plates of rice even if we were two and a four-year kid and there was no storing option. With pleasure, I reached home. The amount of rice and other items wrapped in nice packs was too less than normal. As usual, the woman suffered the worst. We father and son left her in casualty. She was to do her duty in half-filled stomach.

That was a lesson to me, "The wrapper may be deceptive."... To be continued ... Cyclone duty in Borikina area of Jagatsinghpur....