More than 7.85 lakh people have been affected by floods across six districts, while over 2.77 lakh have been evacuated and sheltered in nearly 531 relief camps.
CM Mohan Charan Majhi visited inundated villages in Jajpur by boat as high water levels in the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers continued to affect the region.
The IMD has issued red and orange alerts for several Odisha districts, while officials said floodwaters could take another four to five days to recede.
Odisha Floods: 7.85 Lakh Affected, Over 2.77 Lakh Evacuated As Rain Threat Persists
Floods have affected more than 7.85 lakh people across six Odisha districts, with over 2.77 lakh evacuated as high water levels in the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers and fresh rain threaten to prolong the crisis
Summary
Flood situation in Odisha remained grim, affecting more than 7.85 lakh people. Over 2.77 lakh people have so far been evacuated and sheltered in nearly 531 relief camps, including those on river embankments and in schools, officials told PTI on Tuesday. As many as 126 villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara districts remained marooned.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday undertook a boat ride to reach inundated villages in Jajpur district. Wearing a life jacket, the chief minister travelled by motorised boat and met affected people in Ramchandrapur, Balda and Dhobabil villages.
Which Odisha Districts Have Been Worst Hit?
Accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj and BJP state president Manmohan Samal, Majhi visited the worst-affected Kasapa and Tarapada gram panchayats in Dasarathpur block, even as the IMD forecast more rains after the low-pressure system formed in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression.
Majhi said, “Visited the flood-affected areas of Kasapa and Tarapada Panchayats under Dasarathpur Block of Jajpur District and assessed the situation. On this occasion, I met the brothers and sisters of Ramchandrapur, Balda, and Dobhavil villages and discussed with them.”
Rescue Operations Intensified As Flood Situation Remains Grim
Majhi said that the government would provide them with necessary assistance like immediate relief, cooked and dry food, clean drinking water, and health services.
Meanwhile, Water Resources Department engineer-in-chief Dilip Kumar Rout told PTI that the flood situation could continue for another four to five days as water levels in the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers remained high following heavy rains triggered by a depression.
"It may take four days for floodwater in the Baitarani and Brahmani to recede after they caused high floods in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts," Rout told reporters, adding that two breaches in embankments in Jajpur district are currently being repaired.
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The IMD issued a red alert (take action) for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Balasore, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts and an orange alert (be prepared to take action) for Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul and Dhenkanal.
The IMD cautioned fishermen and advised them not to venture into the sea in the North Bay of Bengal and along the coasts of West Bengal, Bangladesh, Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts till August 18. The sea condition is very likely to be rough due to the impact of the depression, it said. The IMD also issued a 'yellow warning' (be aware) of heavy rains for the districts of Bargarh, Subarnapur, Boudh, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said around 100 rescue teams have been deployed in vulnerable pockets of north Odisha and senior engineers of the Water Resources Department were sent to the spot to ensure protection of embankments and mitigate the impact of the calamity.
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