Bhubaneswar/Malkangiri: Following heavy rain lashing in Malkangiri district in South Odisha since the last three days, triggering a flood situation, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced relief for the flood-hit people of the district for seven days.
According to the announcement, elderly people and children below 12 years would be provided financial assistance of Rs 60 and Rs 45 daily respectively for seven days.
The Chief Minister also directed the district administration to cooperate with the people in the flood-hit areas.
Meanwhile, due to heavy rainfall, the authorities of the Balimela, Jalaput and Machhkund Dam on Friday morning opened the gates to release floodwater.
While dam authorities have opened four gates each of Balimela and Jalaput dams, three gates of Machhkund Dam have been opened. While 20,000 cusecs of water per second is released from the four gates of Balimela Dam, 10,000 cusecs of water per second is released from the Jalaput and Machhkud dams.
Following heavy rain in Malkangiri district, road communication has been disrupted between Balimela and Malkangiri due to the overflowing of floodwater over Kanyasharam Bridge near MV-11. Besides, Korukonda, MV-37, MV-3, MV-50, Poteru, Kankarkonda and Padia villages in Kalimela block have been marooned by floodwater. Road communication between Kelimala and Chhattisgarh has been disrupted due to overflowing of floodwater at a height of about four feet near Chalanguda.
Briefing the media in Bhubaneswar about the rainfall in Malkangiri district in the last 24 hours, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi, said while Korukonda has received a record rainfall of 403 mm followed by Malkangiri (256.4 mm), Kakrigumma (135.4mm), Mathili (103mm), Kalimela (118mm) and Khariput (83mm).
To expedite relief and rescue operations, an 11-member ODRAF team has arrived in Malkangiri district from Koraput.
He also said that the Chief Minister had directed the departments concerned to ensure zero casualty during the landfall of Cyclone Daye, which has been successfully achieved.
