Bhubaneswar: Fresh floods triggered by three days of heavy downpour have affected at least six districts of Odisha, prompting authorities to evacuate over 42,000 people to safe places.
According to sources, northern Odisha continued to reel under flood fury amid swelling rivers following incessant rain, causing inundation of roads and low-lying areas.
A report from Bhadrak said the water level of the Baitarani river has started receding, but several villages in the low-lying areas of the district remain waterlogged. As of 12 noon on Saturday, the river was flowing below the danger mark at Akhuapada.
Officials said floodwater has affected over 2.09 lakh people in 429 villages under 52 blocks across six districts – Baleshwar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Sundaragada and Kendujhar districts. Submergence of vast areas, waterlogging, embankment breaches and disrupted road connectivity hampered normal life in these districts.
The immediate priorities of the administration are to reach cut-off habitations and ensure the supply of cooked food, safe drinking water, medicines and other essentials, they said.
Acting swiftly, the state government has intensified rescue, relief and restoration operations, evacuating nearly 42,000 people to safer places while maintaining close surveillance over the flood-hit regions.
According to the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), floodwaters have impacted 6 districts, 52 blocks, 170 Gram Panchayats, six urban local bodies and 429 villages, affecting 2,09,687 people.
Despite the widespread inundation, there have been no reports of human casualties, reflecting the effectiveness of timely evacuation and disaster response measures.
Among the worst-hit districts, Baleshwar has emerged as the most severely affected, accounting for 79,443 affected people across 180 villages and 13 wards, primarily due to inundation and waterlogging.
Bhadrak follows with 51,560 affected people, while Jajpur has reported 46,570 affected residents. Sundaragada, Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar have also witnessed significant impacts, though on a comparatively smaller scale.
The state government has evacuated 41,881 people, with 38,161 persons currently staying in 127 relief shelters, all of which are being supported by an equal number of free kitchens.
The shelters have been equipped with drinking water, sanitation, lighting, medical support and special arrangements for vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Relief distribution includes dry food, polythene sheets and cooked meals for shelter inmates.
A massive multi-agency response has been deployed to manage the flood situation. The operation involves 39 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 33 Fire and Emergency Service teams, taking the total deployment to 79 response teams. These teams have rescued 2,784 people, shifted 358 persons by boats and restored access to 35 cut-off villages.
Health authorities have deployed 26 medical teams, conducted eight medical camps, and shifted two pregnant women to health institutions as a precautionary measure.
The agricultural sector has also suffered losses, with approximately 1,623 hectares of crop area affected. The floods have resulted in the death of six goats, while veterinary teams have supplied 296.5 metric tonnes of cattle feed and deployed 16 veterinary response teams to protect livestock in affected areas.
Infrastructure damage includes one breach on the left bank of the Baitarani River near Anandapur in Kendujhar district, while 41 district and rural roads and one National/State Highway in Sundargarh have been disrupted. Authorities are providing temporary connectivity and alternative routes to maintain access to affected regions.
