New Delhi: The flood situation in six districts of Odisha remained grim on Wednesday with over 11.80 lakh people being affected, while the state government put the Balasore district on high alert due to an alarming rise in the water level of the Subarnarekha river.
Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that though the water level in most of the rivers was static or receding by Wednesday afternoon, it was alarmingly rising in the Subarnarekha.
“The district administrations of Bhadrak, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj are told to be cautious, but the Balasore district collector has been specifically put on high alert and asked to take required measures. The flood in Subarnarekha could impact densely populated Baliapal, Basta, Jaleswar and Basta blocks,” the minister told reporters.
A report from Balasore said that the water level of the river stood at 11.22 metres against the danger level of 10.36 metres at 5 pm on Wednesday, and it is expected to rise further as water release from Galudihi and Chandili dams in Jharkhand continues.
“Thousands of people living in low-lying and riverbank areas in Bhograi, Jaleswar, Basta and Baliapal blocks have already been impacted. The administration has deployed rescue teams and asked people of these areas to be alert,” an official said.
Other rivers in the district like Budhabalanga and Jalaka are more or less stable, but many villages have already remained marooned and road connections were cut off.
The minister said, “Tonight is crucial for Balasore as the peak flood is expected to pass through the Subarnarekha river around midnight. The field-level officials are already at the ground level with rescue and relief teams.”
Pujari, however, said that there is a respite for other districts due to very low rain in the last 24 hours. He said that the second spell of flood so far has affected over 11.80 lakh people spread over 1579 villages under 68 blocks.
Over 4 lakh people have been evacuated to safety, and the process is continuing in Balasore district where the Subarnarekha is creating havoc, he said. Asked about the human casualty, the minister said that no such report is confirmed so far, but four livestock deaths were reported from Balasore.
The flood situation in neighbouring Bhadrak and Jajpur districts was no different, with the Salandi river flowing at 17.10 metres against the danger mark of 17 metres at Rajghat. The Baitarani river at Akhuapada also witnessed water level remaining static at the danger mark of 18.33 meters, sources in the Water Resources Department said.
Meanwhile, the district administration of Kendrapara, which has been flooded by the Brahmani river, rescued around 250 students from a residential school in Kulasahi area. The children remained stranded amid flood water for four days.