5 killed as heavy rains lead to flood fury in Odisha

Heavy downpour caused by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal triggered a flood situation in parts of Odisha on Thursday, claiming at least five lives, officials said.

Major rivers such as Baitarani, Brahmani, Subarnarekha and Budhabalanga are in spate with their water flowing above the danger-mark, submerging low-lying areas and paddy fields in several districts, Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi said.

Arrangements have been made to evacuate people to safer places in Bhadrak, Balasore and Jajpur, he said.

Seven people have died in the state due to flood and rain-related incidents since Wednesday, Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said.

While two people lost their lives on Wednesday, five deaths were reported on Thursday, he said.

Four people were killed in Mayurbhanj, two died in Keonjhar and another death was reported from the Sundargarh district. Most of the deaths happened either due to wall collapse or drowning in nullaha or river.

With this, the death toll in rain-related incidents this month has risen to 12, officials said.

Two persons also went missing in Mayurbhanj and Bargarh districts and fire service personnel along with locals were carrying out search operations, Jena said.

Over 7,000 people have so far been evacuated from vulnerable areas and put up in flood shelters where dry ration and cooked food are being provided, he said.

The state recorded an average rainfall of 55.8 mm since Wednesday, the minister said, adding that six districts received average showers of more than 100 mm.

The state government is fully prepared to deal with the flood situation, while a thorough assessment of the damage caused to standing crops and properties will be made when the water recedes, Marndi said.

Jharsuguda district recorded the highest 177 mm rainfall, followed by 128.5 mm in Deogarh, 116.7 mm in Sambalpur, 114 mm in Boudh and 107 mm in Angul district, SRC Jena said.

The water level of the Baitarani river at Anandpur in Keonjhar stood at 39.50 metres in the evening as against the danger-mark of 38.36 metres, while the water level at Akhuapada in Bhadrak district was 20.06 metre as against the red-mark of 17.83 metres, he said.

Brahmani, Budhabalnga and Subarnarekha rivers were also flowing above the danger level at different places. Besides, the water level of the Jalaka river was 6.89 metre as against the danger-mark of 5.50 metre at Mathani in Balasore district causing submergence of several areas, Jena said.

Noting that low-level flood may be witnessed in the Mahanadi river system, he said the water level in the Hirakud dam was 622.08 feet in the evening as against the full reservoir level of 630 feet.

The water inflow was 5,56,010 cusec and outflow through the 12 gates of the dam was 2,68,800 cusec, Jena said.

Discharge of water at Khairmal was 5,34,000 cusec, while it was 6,43,000 cusec at Barmul and 7,77,893 cusec at Munduli.

The water level in Mahanadi at Naraj was 26.25 metre as against the danger-mark of 26.41 metres. The water flow is likely to reach up to 8 lakh cusec at Munduli as no major rainfall has been forecast for the next three-four days, Jena said.

Senior officials and engineers are keeping a close watch on the Mahanadi delta region in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Nayagarh, he said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the preparedness on Wednesday, he said.

Chief Secretary A K Tripathy also held a review meeting with senior officials, including three revenue divisional commissioners and collectors of Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Subarnapur and Boudh.

Many low-lying areas, including paddy fields and roads, are submerged, and kutcha houses and fragile structures damaged in Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur, he said.

The gushing water has also caused breaches in roads and washed away small bridges, the officer said.

Teams of National Disaster Response Force and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force have been deployed in Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore districts, Jena said.

The district collectors, particularly of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore and Kendrapara, have been asked to remain in a state of preparedness, he said

The water level of the Subarnarekha River is rising following the release of floodwater by Jharkhand from Galudiha barrage. As a result, Rajghat in Balasore is likely to receive a huge volume of water on Friday, he said.

Agricultural land in Marsaghai, Derabish, Mahakalpada, Pattamundai, Aul and Rajkanika in Kendrapara district have been inundated, he said.

In Jajpur, many villages in the five blocks are submerged due to the flood in the Baitarani river.

In Bhadrak, several villages in Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar blocks were inundated, while connectivity was affected as several roads and bridges were submerged, officials said.

Road communication between Bhandaripokhari, Dhamnagar and Jajpur was disrupted as floodwater was flowing over a bridge, they said.

Meanwhile, the well-marked low-pressure area over north interior Odisha has now moved to southwest Jharkhand, the Meteorological Centre said.

This is the fifth low-pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal this month. Four back-to-back low-pressure systems on August 4, 9, 13 and 19 have caused heavy rainfall in the state.