History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c44.148

v2.c44.148

During the British period Katak had suffered from famine in 1806, 1808, 1809, 1817, 1828, 1836, 1837 and 1842. But the greatest famine was that of 1865-66. In 1866 floods of the Mahānadī destroyed the crops in the district and half of Katak was devastated. In January 1867 forty deaths were reported every day on the average from starvation. The scarcity was not over till 1868. Like Balasore, Katak suffered from another severe famine in 1896-97². High caste Hindus who had taken food in Government cooking houses were expelled from their caste and formed a new caste or sub-sect of castes called *Sattra-khiyā*, which however is fast disappearing.