Further, rendered homeless by the super cyclonic storm, lakhs of people are on the roads they may have to stay that way till the water level recedes and they start reconstructing their homes.The journey on the 40 km Cuttack-Chandikhol highway and the 80 km Chandikhol-Paradip Express Highway has turned risky for no one escapes the wrath of angry villagers their anguish accentuated by administration's apathy.

``Not a single grain has reached us. We are virtually starving for the last four days. Our children have no food to eat,'' fumes Narayan Mohapatra of village Hosnabad under Badchana block of Jajpur district. Badchana and Dhanmandal blocks of Jajpur are the worst-hit.

State Government vehicles and highway trucks are the villagers' prime targets. Trucks carrying essential commodities are stopped with artificial road blockades and drivershauled up for refusing to give in.

Two-wheeler riders carrying their family members including children are not spared either. The situation is worse at major junctions where people are beaten up for not giving lifts to stranded villagers. Gopinath Rout of Nuagaon village boasts of looting passersby and blocking office godowns.

He justifies his stand saying his family and he have not eaten for over 72 hours. ``After three days, I served maize powder to my five-year-old son. He complained of stomach cramps, and I stopped that too,'' says Rout. Several block godowns in the district have been ransacked by villagers. While block authorities are helpless, police are reluctant to interfore.

In the guise of clearing the road, miscreants, including some local youths, have embarked on a looting spree. While several trucks have been waylaid along the highway for refusing to provide food, buses are looted during the night. Passengers of a tourist bus from West Bengal were looted Rs 15,000 cash on theChandikhol-Cuttack highway on Monday. ``Don't worry. We won't harm you. You are from the press. Trucks, buses and Government vehicles are our targets,'' says Sadashiv Mahakud. Although the vandals loot passersby, they do not know where to store the food for their houses are marooned. Besides, half of the food is destroyed while being transported to villages on bicycles.