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Odisha flood situation under control, claims government
Flood situation in Odisha is under control, but over 4 lakh people affected in 15 districts. 7 people dead. Water levels receding, but risk of water-borne diseases remains. Vegetable farming affected.
Odisha government on Friday said that the flood situation in the state was under control even as the flood in Mahanadi river systems as well as few other rivers like Baitarani and Brahmani affected more than 4 lakh people in 15 districts of the state and left 7 people dead in last 3 days.
The flood in Mahanadi river system and Brahmani caused 5 breaches submerging hundreds of villages in Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur districts.
Bhadrak district, which bore the brunt of current flood, people in 326 villages were marooned by the surging floodwaters. In Keonjhar district, the state fire services team evacuated a farmer with his 11 goats from a marooned place in Samana under Hatadihi block while in kendrapara district, fire personnel rescued four persons who were stuck inside the village. Nearly 75 teams have been deployed with boats in flood rescue. In Bhadrak district, a youth was washed away in the floodwaters while he had gone to buy groceries. The youth’s body was rescued by locals, but he died on his way to hospital.
Several villages of Banki and Athagarh area in Cuttack district were inundated due to the backwater flow of the Mahanadi river. This apart, many areas in Nayagarh, Boudh, and Sonepur districts were also waterlogged due to heavy rain and flood water of Mahanadi. Some areas in Khurda and Puri districts also remained inundated.
Special relief commissioner Satyabrata Sahu said the water level in all rivers are receding as there was no rain yesterday and today. “The peak flood passed through through some tributaries of Mahanadi in Kendrapara district on Friday afternoon. Our people are guarding the embankments and efforts are on to stop all possible breaches,” said Sahu.
Sahu said the India Meteorological Department has issued no more rain warning for Odisha. “Light to moderate rain or thundershower is likely at many places in North Interior Odisha and at a few places in remaining parts of the state on Friday and Saturday,” he said.
Though floodwaters were receding in villages, health officials said there is a possibility of breakout of water-borne diseases in affected districts. Director of Public Health Dr. Niranjan Mishra said all field-level health officials in Odisha have been directed to be alert and prepared for any emergency arising out of a flash flood situation. “A comprehensive guideline has been sent to the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officers of all districts in this regard,” he said.
Though no major damages to houses in villages have taken place, the flood has affected vegetable farming in districts where farmers were ready to harvest crops. In Banki, Damapada, Badamba and Athagarh blocks of Cuttack district who had grown vegetables on their riverside land could not salvage their crop.
