Bhubaneswar: Amid continuous heavy rainfall and rising river levels threatening floods across Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Wednesday assured citizens that the government is maintaining round-the-clock vigilance and taking every possible measure to protect lives and property.
“The life and safety of every citizen is our topmost priority. My government and I are personally monitoring the situation arising from heavy rains and flooding in several rivers at every moment,” the Chief Minister said.
Following high-level meetings with the Chief Secretary and Special Relief Commissioner, the state administration has been placed on maximum alert. Three senior IAS officers have been tasked with directly overseeing flood management, evacuations, and relief efforts in the worst-hit districts of Baleshwar, Bhadrak, and Jajpur. The Special Relief Commissioner’s office and the State Emergency Operation Centre are operating 24/7 to track water levels and ground conditions. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Fire Services, and police have been deployed for rescues in vulnerable low-lying areas. Emergency shelters are well-stocked with drinking water, cooked food, medical aid including anti-snake venom, and cattle feed, Majhi said in a post on X.
Police have also stepped up night patrols around evacuated homes to prevent theft, while authorities have been directed to ensure swift disbursement of compensation to those whose houses and farmland have been damaged.
The Chief Minister also appealed to the public to stay calm: “I urge everyone not to panic. We are with you at every step. Please heed the instructions of the administration and remain safe.”
Meanwhile, Baitarani river remains in severe flood at Akhuapada in Bhadrak district. As of 2 pm Wednesday, it was flowing at 20.29 metres, nearly two metres above the danger mark of 18.33 metres. At the Bhadrak gauge, the river touched an extreme flood level of 13.9 metres, surpassing the previous high flood level of 13.24 metres recorded in 2022. Levels at Anandpur in Keonjhar also crossed the danger mark earlier.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil noted that floodwaters in the Baitarani and Budhabalang rivers are receding, though outflow to the sea has been slowed by tidal effects. “The process is expected to accelerate from Thursday,” he said, adding that evacuation is continuing as a precautionary measure in vulnerable areas.
People living in low-lying and riverbank areas have been advised to remain alert and avoid venturing into floodwaters until the river recedes below the danger mark.
The second flood wave this monsoon, triggered by heavy rains from a deep depression, has severely impacted northern and western Odisha. Over 2.03 lakh people have been affected across 748 villages in 44 blocks of six districts, including Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, and Sambalpur. Nearly 28,000 people have been evacuated, with 226 villages still marooned. As many as 212 relief camps are sheltering over 27,000 individuals.
At least four deaths have been reported so far, primarily from Keonjhar district: an elderly man in a wall collapse, a child who drowned, and a fire services personnel who was electrocuted while on duty. Crops over nearly 7,900 hectares and hundreds of houses have been damaged, with Baleshawar and Bhadrak among the worst affected.