Bhubaneswar: Incessant rain in the upper catchments of major rivers triggered a flood-like situation in several parts of Odisha on Monday, inundating many villages and crippling normal life.
Vast areas in the northern districts of Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur were inundated by the waters of overflowing rivers.
Sharing details on the situation, a senior official in the Water Resources Department said that Baitarani and Subarnarekha rivers are flowing above the danger marks at Akhuapada and Rajghat respectively. The situation is likely to improve on Tuesday.
Water Resources Department’s Engineer-in-Chief Chandrasekhar Padhi said the Subarnarekha was flowing above the danger mark in Balasore’s Rajghat at 10 am. The water level of the Subarnarekha may come down in a few hours, but it would again rise due to incessant rains in the upper catchment areas. The water level at Jamsolaghat is gradually rising due to rain
He said a 30-foot-wide breach took place in the Kani river, a tributary of the Baitarani, near Ahiyaas Bazar under Kaspa panchayat of Jajpur district.
Vast areas were submerged with water following the breach in the river embankment, affecting at least four panchayats under the Dasarathpur block.
Similarly, the Brahmani River was also swelling in Bonai area of Sundargarh district following heavy downpour in the upper regions. Floodwaters were seen flowing dangerously close to the Sia Jora bridge near Jangla, snapping road connectivity. While Jangla, Jakeikela and Lalei areas have been marooned, floodwater reportedly submerged paddy fields.
In Bhadrak district, floodwater entered several areas of Dhamnagar, prompting the administration to close schools and Anganwadi centres for two days. All Anganwadi centres in Hasanabad and Arjunpur panchayats remained shut, while 25 schools across Arjunpur, Hasanabad, Sohada and Padhani areas were closed. Paddy fields near Kantighai in Bhandaripokhari were submerged, while floodwaters entered villages through escape points at Mallimahara and Gaurangpur.
In Balasore district, floodwater from the Subarnarekha River entered villages in Jaleswar area, with the river flowing at 10.85 metres at Rajghat.
Vast areas of Basta, Baliapal, Jaleswar and Bhogarai blocks have been submerged. More than 10,000 people in five panchayats have been surrounded by floodwaters. Road connectivity on the Baliapal–Bhogarai–Rasulpur route has also been snapped.
The Balasore district administration has deployed a 14-member fire service team, while Bhadrak has stationed a nine-member rescue unit. Additional teams have been rushed to Baliapal and Bhograi for relief and evacuation operations.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the officials of the affected districts have been asked to step up rescue and relief operations immediately.
