Amid flood threat, Odisha rushes 106 teams to different districts for rescue, relief works

The Odisha government dispatched 106 teams to different districts on Thursday as flood fear loomed following heavy rains due to the deep depression, officials said.

On Thursday evening, 9.2 lakh cusec water was released from the Mundali barrage on Mahanadi, which is likely to inundate the low-lying areas of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara by Friday afternoon, said Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department Bhakta Ranjan Mohanty.

Amid the threat of flooding, 106 teams, comprising NDRF (8), ODRAF (13) and Fire Services (85), were rushed to different districts, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu said.

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The district collectors have been asked to evacuate the low-lying areas, he said.

"Thursday night is crucial for the delta region. The collectors of Angul and Nayagarh districts have also been asked to take precautionary measures and guard weak embankments," Sahu said.

On Wednesday, a woman was killed in Keonjhar and six people were injured in Kalahandi due to incidents of wall collapse, an official said.

About 1.20 lakh people in 762 villages and 17 urban areas have been affected by flooding, Sahu said.

As many as 6,834 people have been shifted from low-lying areas, and 136 free kitchens have been opened for them, he said.

The district authorities and the Water Resources Department were asked to ensure 24×7 patrolling of vulnerable river embankments with the help of police, officials said.

The water level of Mahanadi at Barmul and Kharimal is receding, and the level of Baitarani river is also going down at Akhuapada, they said.

The water level of Brahmani at Jenapur is constant at 22.20 metre against the danger level 23.00 metre since 4 pm. The Jalaka river at Mathani in Balasore is flowing above the danger level, they added.

The state has received an average of 38 mm rainfall during the last 24 hours, and 147.5 mm since August 1.

In the last 24 hours, Kutra block in Sundergarh district received the highest rainfall at 195.4 mm.

Sahu said the intensity of rainfall has declined across the state, barring some places in Sundergarh and Jharsuguda districts.