Odisha Flood Relief: Food Air Drops Planned In Ganjam, Gajapati After Cyclone Arnab Rain

Odisha on Friday stepped up rescue and relief work in the flood-affected Ganjam and Gajapati districts and was preparing to air-drop food packets after torrential rain linked to cyclone Arnab left thousands stranded for more than 24 hours.

The state turned to air support after floodwaters blocked access to several pockets. People in the two districts have been cut off since Thursday as roads and other links went under water.

The worsening situation has made ground response difficult, with rescue personnel finding it hard to reach some badly affected areas. Officials are now combining air drops, rescue operations and food distribution as floodwaters continue to isolate villages and settlements in southern Odisha.

Rainfall And Response

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also oversees the Water Resources portfolio, said the scale and location of the rain had not been expected. "As part of the preparedness for cyclone Arnab, the administration was expecting that the calamity could have a major impact in Malkangiri. However, nobody could imagine that such heavy rainfall could occur in Ganjam district and cause severe floods," Majhi said at a meeting here earlier in the day.

Majhi said Patrapur block in Ganjam district received 54 cm of rain in 24 hours. Several other places in Ganjam and Gajapati also saw unusually heavy rain, setting off major flooding.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg said, "The volume of rain in Ganjam in a span of 24 hours was more than the annual average rainfall in the area." She said the flood current was so strong that NDRF and ODRAF personnel could not move into several affected areas. The Indian Coast Guard was therefore asked to airlift stranded people and drop food packets in inaccessible pockets of Ganjam district.

Scale Of Damage

Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said about 50,000 people had been badly hit by the floods in Ganjam.

Pujari said defence helicopters had been requisitioned to air-drop food packets at 21 identified locations in Ganjam district where there was no other way to deliver food and water. He added that rainfall had eased over the past 12 hours and NDRF and ODRAF personnel were expected to distribute cooked food in areas where people remained surrounded by floodwaters.

"It was not possible to reach the affected people even by using modern boats due to the heavy current of flowing water," Pujari said. He said more than 100 of the 313 rescue teams deployed across the state were engaged in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

Flooding from the Rushikulya river has caused major damage in Ganjam, submerging several villages, damaging bridges and washing away roads. Sorada, Aska, Bhanjanagar and Purushottampur were among the worst-hit places, and floodwater also entered Bhanjanagar town, Sanakhemundi and Purushottampur areas.

Dasamaili village in Dharakote block is under nearly 10 feet of water. Road links between Aska, Berhampur and Sorada have been disrupted. Around five feet of floodwater is running over the Tankachhai-Hinjilicut road. Near Achhuli, a 30-foot breach has opened along the Rushikulya river, and a bridge near Patashala has also been washed away, an official said.

Local Relief Efforts

Ganjam Collector V Keerthi Vasan said rescue and relief operations had been stepped up in the affected areas and relief materials were being distributed among people since Thursday.