Though the water level in the major rivers of north Odisha showed a declining trend today due to less rainfall in the catchment areas in the last 12 hours, around 40 villages in Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts remained marooned in the state, said officials.
Though the water level in the major rivers of north Odisha showed a declining trend today due to less rainfall in the catchment areas in the last 12 hours, around 40 villages in Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts remained marooned in the state, said officials.
Two blocks in Bhadrak district -- Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar -- were affected, an official statement issued by the Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office said, adding that about 25 villages of Bhandaripokhari block were affected due to the floods caused by the Baitarani river there.
About 20,411 residents of the block were affected.
About 200 hectares of crop-land in the block and another 654 hectares in Dhamnagar block of Bhadrak district remained submerged in the flood waters, SRC sources said.
Similarly, a report from Keonjhar said about 15 villages in Ghasipura and Hatadhi blocks were marooned as the flood waters washed away the roads.
Two power boats and one health team were deployed at Solampur village in Bhandaripokhari block. An ODRAF team was stationed at Dhamnagar for rescue-and-relief operations.
In Jajpur district, there was a flood-like situation in Jajpur, Dasarathpur and Korei blocks. Two ODRAF teams were deployed at Jajpur and Dasarathpur blocks respectively.
Due to a rise in the water level of the Subarnarekha river at Rajghat, there was a flood-like situation in five gram panchayats of Baliapal block in Balasore district.
The authorities were closely monitoring the situation in Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore districts.
At 6 pm, the Baitarani was flowing at 37 metres, as against the danger mark of 38.36 metres, at Anandpur. The water level, however, was showing a declining trend.
The river was flowing at 18.56 metres, as against the danger mark of 17.83 metres, at Akhuapada and showing a declining trend.
At 6 pm, the Subarnarekha was flowing at 11.12 metres, as against the danger level of 10.36 metres, at Rajghat and showing a rising trend.
Meanwhile, SRC B P Sethi said the government was fully prepared to tackle the situation.
"We have deployed ODRAF, NDRF, Fire Service personnel, equipped with power boats, for the rescue-and-relief operations. Besides, regular patrolling is being carried out at the weak and vulnerable portions of the river embankments," he added.
The SRC asserted that all arrangements were put in place and sand bags were kept ready at the weak and vulnerable river banks to prevent any breach.
He hoped that the situation would improve as the water level in the major rivers had started showing a declining trend.
"We are expecting a normal situation by tomorrow as there has not been much rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the Brahmani, Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Jalaka and other rivers in north Odisha," Deputy SRC Pravat Mohapatra said, adding that everything depended on the rainfall tonight.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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