Two die, over 60 villages affected by flood in Odisha’s Balasore

The plight of the people in these villages has aggravated due to the release of water from dams in neighbouring Jharkhand, an official said.

Bhubaneswar/Balasore: At least two persons died in flood in Odisha's Balasore district, even as the number of affected villages came down to 60 with the water levels in several rivers, including Subarnarekha, receding, officials said on Wednesday.

Fire and Emergency Services personnel recovered the body of a 90-year-old man, identified as Dibakar Giri of Kusuda village in Bhograi block, while members of an Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team found the body of Rakesh Singh in the flood water, they said.

Singh hailed from Bishnupur village and was swept away in the floodwater currents on Tuesday.

People of around 60 villages in northern parts of the district continued to grapple with inundated roads and fields, as heavy rains under the influence of a low-pressure belt lashed the region, an official said.

The plight of the people in these villages has aggravated due to the release of water from dams in neighbouring Jharkhand, he said.

The number of flood-hit villages was 100 in Balasore district on Tuesday.

According to a water resources department official, the water level of the Subarnarekha river at Rajghat was at 9.80 metres against the danger mark of 10.36 metres at 4 pm.

Similarly, the water levels in the Budhabalang and Jalaka rivers in Balasore district receded, he said.

Several blocks like Bhograi, Baliapal, Jaleswar and Basta have been affected by the deluge.

The floods caused substantial damage to crops and infrastructure, with many roads, bridges and culverts being washed away in Balasore, the officials said.

The district administration has deployed teams of the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services, ODRAF, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in rescue and relief operations.

A report from Jajpur said the water levels in the Baitarani and Brahmani rivers were also receding.

However, the district administration continued to maintain alert in different blocks, another official said.

The people who took shelter in relief centres due to the flood have so far returned to their homes in Mayurbhanj as the situation improved in the district, another official said. However, normal life was severely affected in the Koraput district due to overnight rainfall triggered by the low pressure.

Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that the district collectors of Balasore and Mayurbhanj have been asked to start an assessment of damage to crops, houses and others.

He said the affected people will be assisted as per the relief code.

Meanwhile, the weather office said that the state is likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorm activity till July 7 under the influence of cyclonic circulation over south Jharkhand and neighbourhood.