Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday described the flood situation in Balasore as grim and said all possible steps are being taken to ensure quick relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
After conducting an aerial survey of the affected areas, the Chief Minister said that several parts of Balasore district remain marooned following floods triggered by heavy rainfall in the past couple of days.
Majhi, who conducted a thorough review of the flood situation, said that over 8000 hectares of area in six blocks have been inundated. Besides, 35 gram panchayats in three blocks have been affected due to the flood.
Stating that the district administration has evacuated around 2000 people from low-lying areas, he said arrangements have been made to provide them cooked food and other essentials.
A total of eight teams of Fire Service, 3 teams of ODRAF and 1 team of NDRF have been deployed in the marooned villages which are still cut-off from the rest of the world.
The Chief Minister stated that the state government is taking all necessary steps to control flood in the swollen Subarnarekha river. The authorities in the Water Resources department have been directed to prepare a plan for a permanent solution and the government will take steps after getting a report in this regard, said Majhi.
It may be noted that heavy rain triggered by deep depression over the past four days has exacerbated the flood situation in Balasore district amid rise in the water levels of Subarnarekha,
Budhabalang, and Jalaka rivers. Subarnarekha river was flowing at 10.70 metre, above the danger level of 10.36 metre, on Tuesday evening. The Central Water Commission (CWC) also projected a severe flood in Subarnarekha, stating that it may go past 10.95 metre mark, its highest peak, causing severe flood in Basta, Bhgarai and Baliapal blocks.
Floodwaters from Budhabalanga and Jalaka rivers, which also pass through the district, have also inundated villages in the three blocks due to slow discharge into the sea.
Officials said that the Subarnarekha has flooded over 250 villages and more than 400 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Bhograi, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal, and Sadar blocks. Preliminary assessments indicated that 264 villages across 56 gram panchayats and 17 wards in Jaleswar municipality have been affected.
During a review meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Balasore Collector Suryawanshi Mayur Vikas confirmed that while the Subarnarekha river’s water levels continued to rise, Budhabalang and Jalaka rivers had begun receding.
Mayurbhanj district, which also received heavy rainfall, faces a similar threat. Evacuations from low-lying areas in Badasahi, Betonati, Rashgovindpur, and Saraskana blocks have already begun. Pujari noted that Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and Bhadrak districts have experienced significant rainfall over the past four days, causing rivers across northern Odisha to swell.
