Around 40 students from five government Industrial Training Institutes and UCP Government Engineering School have joined flood recovery work in Aska, Ganjam district, repairing damaged electrical appliances, water pumps and plumbing systems in public facilities and private homes.
The students began work on Monday after heavy rain and flooding disrupted electricity and water supply systems across parts of Ganjam. Their first assignment included repairing electrical equipment at Aska sub-divisional hospital, which was inundated by floodwater.
Students from electrical, electronics and plumbing streams at ITIs in Berhampur, Sheragada, Purushottampur, Hinjilicut and Chhatrapur are taking part in the effort. They have been divided into six groups and assigned to different locations, including households requiring repairs to air-conditioners, pumps and other electrical equipment.
District skill development and employment officer Arpita Priyadarshini said the students were working to help restore daily life by repairing damaged electrical equipment and water supply systems. The teams are operating under district administration supervision, with each group assigned a supervisor.
The intervention comes as residents face a shortage of skilled repair workers following the floods. Water pumps and household appliances were damaged or rendered non-functional after being submerged, while several repair workshops in affected towns were also impacted by flooding.
ITI Berhampur principal Ranjan Kumar Parida said thousands of flood-affected families urgently needed skilled workers for repairs. Students have therefore been deputed on a rotational basis to assist in the affected areas.
The repair effort links technical education with post-disaster rehabilitation, bringing a trained workforce into neighbourhoods where damaged appliances and water systems can directly affect household recovery. The work also extends beyond government facilities, with teams visiting private homes where residents need assistance restoring essential equipment.
The flood damage followed heavy rain in Ganjam, with affected families reporting appliance failures after floodwater entered homes on October 28. The disruption to local repair services has added to the difficulty of restoring basic household functions, particularly water pumping and electrical connections.
The students are expected to continue visiting affected areas over the next few days, according to the district skill development and employment officer. Their deployment will remain coordinated by the district administration through supervised, rotational teams.
