Odisha villages marooned in water, thousands evacuated

Thousands of people were evacuated on Tuesday as many villages were marooned with floodwater breaching river embankments in Odisha.

The State government made arrangements to evacuate the affected people to safer places and provide food in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Kalahandi districts.

However, there was some relief with a drop in the intensity of rain that has been lashing the State for the past four days.

While two breaches of about 30 metres occurred near Sathibankuda in the Baitarani left embankment in Bhadrak district, one breach was spotted at Patapur in the river Baitarani under Dasarathpur Block of Jajpur districts.

Hectares of agricultural land in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts were submerged. The water level in Baitarani began to recede on Tuesday.

According to Special Relief Commissioner’s Office, 56,900 persons in four blocks – Chandabali, Dhamanagar, Tihidi and Bhandaripokhari – were affected, while 8,970 hectares of agriculture land was submerged in Bhadrak district. In four villages of Jajpur district, 2,460 hectares of crop was submerged.

The SRC office said five villages in Junagarh and Kalampur blocks in Kalahandi district were affected after the Hati overtopped on NH-26. Traffic on this road was disrupted for more than 24 hours. As many as 75 inmates of Kanyashra (girls’ hostel) at Bankapalas village in Kalahandi were evacuated and shifted to safer places.

Block Development Officers of Junagarh and Kalampur have been instructed to keep a watch over the situation on 24-hour basis.

In the last 24 hours, Jharsuguda received over 100 mm rainfall.

SRC P. K. Mohapatra said Chhattisgarh, which is the upper catchment of Mahanadi, the major river of Odisha, was expected to receive heavy rainfall. But, the Hirakud reservoir could hold additional water coming from upper catchment, he said.