JOIN USFlood situation worsens in Odisha
The Odisha government on Tuesday acknowledged that the situation in two of the 13 flood-hit districts in the state has turned grim.
These two districts are Jajpur in coastal Odisha and Bhadrak in the north. The official flood related toll in the state has gone up to 23. It was 16 on Monday.
“The flood situation in Jajpur and Bhadrak has become a matter of worry for the state administration. The situation there has certainly become problematic,” special relief commissioner (SRC) Pradipta Mohapatra said, adding that all steps were being taken to handle the situation not only in the two districts but also in all the affected districts.
Excess water in two major rivers — Baitarani and Salandi — have caused floods in Jajpur and Bhadrak. Both the rivers were flowing above the danger level at different points.
According to Mohapatra, nearly 50,000 people have been affected in three blocks of Jajpur district alone. These three block are — Dasrathpur, Jajpur and Korei. “About six thousand people in these three blocks have been evacuated so far,” the SRC said.
Similarly, areas affected in Bhadrak district include ten wards of Bhadrak town, the headquarters of the north Odisha district. Other rain and flood hit districts where people have been evacuated to safer places include coastal Nayagarh district, Keonjhar in north Odisha as well as Boudh and Sambalpur districts in western Odisha.
In all the flood affected districts ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) and other agencies are helping the local administration in evacuation and relief operations. At several places, flood waters have submerged and damaged state and national highway,disrupting communication between the districts.
Though rain situation improved in the state on Tuesday, the local met office has predicted downpours in the next 24 hours in the interior districts of Odisha bordering Chhattisgarh as the low pressure, the root cause of the current floods in the state, has turned into a deep depression.
The system is now centred over Chhattisgarh. The met office’s warning has spelled more bad news for Sambalpur district which is being battered by heavy rain since last four days.