Coming close on the heels of cyclone Phailin, incessant rain over the coastal districts of Odisha over the past two days has created flood situation in many regions of the State.
Heavy rains have added to the misery of lakhs of people, who were already reeling under the impact of Phailin and the consequent floods.
Many stretches in the districts of Ganjam and Gajapati districts were already experiencing flood on Thursday, and flood situation was staring at many areas in the adjoining Kandhamal district, the State government said on Thursday.
As many as 46 gram panchayats in six blocks of Ganjam were facing the wrath of flood due to continuous rain triggered by the low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
The relief and restoration works, which were going on in the cyclone-ravaged areas of Ganjam and other areas as well as the flood-hit areas of Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts in northern Odisha, had been affected. Many families who had lost their houses in the cyclone and flood were yet to be provided polythene sheets to live in makeshift hutments.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed the flood situation at a high level meeting at the State Secretariat here, directed the concerned departments to take necessary measures to cope with the emerging flood situation. He also asked the administration to evacuate people living in low-lying areas.
Mr. Patnaik further asked NDRAF and ODRAF to stay alert to cope with any eventuality. The water level in many rivers in the State was rising.
Head of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Department S.C. Sahu informed the meeting that rains were likely to continue over the next 48 hours. Another report indicated that a fishing trawler sank in the sea off Balasore coast. The seven fishermen in the trawler, however, were rescued. As the sea was to be very rough, fishermen had been alerted not to venture into it.
On the other hand, the East Coast Railway had taken steps to ensure safety of passengers and safety of train operations.
As many as 29 trains were diverted on alternative routes to south India while three trains remained cancelled between Bhubaneswar and Palasa.
