Nabarangpur, Oct 2: They have no mother or father to turn to. After heavy rain damaged their mud house, two orphaned cousins are now struggling to survive under a broken tin roof at Charichhak near Padalguda Sadar panchayat in Nandahandi block of Nabarangpur district.
The two are 19-year-old Nandini Bhatra and 16-year-old Anand Nayak. With no one else to support them, the siblings have become each other's only source of strength.
Nandini lost her father around 10 years ago. Her mother, Parbati, who worked as a Class IV employee at the Nabarangpur post office, died two years ago. Parbati had hoped to educate her daughter and help her build a better future.
After her mother's death, Nandini took responsibility for the family. She works at the post office in the morning before attending college. She again works in the evening and studies whenever she finds time.
Despite the difficult circumstances, she has continued her education while taking care of the household.
Anand's life has been equally difficult. His father reportedly left before he was born and has not been heard from since. After giving birth to him, his mother also reportedly left him and moved elsewhere. There has been no information about her whereabouts.
Parbati had taken Anand into her care and raised him along with Nandini. After her death, the two young relatives were left to manage life on their own.
Anand passed Class 10 this year and is currently staying at home.
Heavy Rain Makes Their Situation Worse
Their struggle has become even harder following the recent heavy rain. The mud walls of their house have collapsed, while the asbestos-roofed portion is also partly damaged.
The remaining walls could collapse at any time, leaving the two in an unsafe situation.
On Wednesday, the local sarpanch visited the spot and inspected the condition of their house. However, the siblings said they were disappointed as they had not received even a polythene sheet for temporary protection from the rain.
Villagers said polythene sheets had been distributed to people whose houses were damaged at several places in the block, and questioned why the two vulnerable siblings had been left out.
They have appealed to the district administration to immediately assess the situation and provide the siblings with shelter and necessary assistance.
With the district administration's office located only a short distance away, villagers have urged the authorities to take immediate action before the damaged house creates a greater risk for the two young people.
