Bhubaneswar, Aug. 4 -- It is for the past eight days that the residents of flood-affected areas in Bhadrak's Basudevpur have been living in waterlogged conditions. With knee-deep water still remaining inside their homes, villagers are forced to prepare meals by constructing makeshift raised stoves using cement pans, mud, and empty oil tins.

LPG supply vehicles cannot access the village, and most firewood and regular fuel sources have been reportedly washed away by the floodwaters. Local residents are collecting dry leaves and tree branches with great difficulty and using them to cook. Continuous rainfall has further soaked available firewood, compounding their problem.

To survive, many families cook only once and consume pakhala (watere...