Bhubaneswar: As the flood situation in Odisha remained grim amid inundation of many areas, the state government stepped up rescue and relief operation and evacuated around 23,000 people to safe places.
According to official sources, the situation continued to be critical particularly in Balasore district, where the Subarnarekha river is flowing above danger mark of 10.36. The river is flowing at 10.80 meters at Rajghat though the water level is showing a receding trend.
In Balasore, 35,654 people were affected by flood, while rescue teams have evacuated over 21,076 persons from marooned areas to safe locations in the district, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said.
Thousands of hectares of agricultural land have been flooded in the district, severely affecting Baliapal, Jaleshwar, and Bhograi blocks. Floodwaters have entered villages and disrupted transportation and public communication. The Water Resources Department has launched steps to repair the river embankment on a war-footing.
In a major relief to the people, Jalaka River is now flowing below danger mark but above the warning level.
In Mayurbhanj district, 2035 people have been affected by floods, while 1603 persons have been evacuated to safe locations.
More than 2,000 people along the Subarnarekha River basin have been sheltered in flood relief centres. The administration is providing dry and cooked food to those in need.
Altogether 22 blocks in Balasore are affected, with 4 relief centres set up and 334 houses damaged. Keonjhar reports five affected blocks, and Sundergarh has one block hit by the deluge.
As many as 21 response teams of NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Service have been deployed in Balasore, 15 teams in Mayurbhanj and one has been sent to Bhadrak to carry out rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas.