Odisha floods: CM Patnaik to undertake aerial survey of four affected districts
In Bhubaneswar, the flood in Daya river, a distributary of Mahanadi, flooded the suburbs of Sundarpada and Pradhan Sahi with people in several high-rises rescued by fire services
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik will undertake an aerial survey of four flood-affected districts on Thursday as the state witnessed its biggest-ever flood in a decade that displaced over 5 lakh people in 1700 villages and 10 urban local bodies.
Special relief commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena said Patnaik will undertake chopper survey of the affected districts of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara where floods in Mahanadi and its distributaries have wreaked havoc. More than 5 lakh people in the state have been affected of which half are still marooned in their respective homes, Jena said.
“The government has set up free kitchens for over 60,000 people. Drinking water pouches are being provided. An adequate stock of polythene sheets has been mobilised to shelter people. Besides, administrations of the affected districts are providing cattle feed for livestock evacuated from submerged areas. Mini mineral water plants have been installed in Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Kendrapada and Cuttack districts,” said the SRC.
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After the maximum amount of floodwater discharged by Hirakud dam passed through the rivers in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Cuttack on late Wednesday night, the flood situation is gradually improving.
“Water levels in many major rivers in these districts are ebbing,” said an official in one of the affected districts.
Jena said floodwater has caused major breaches at six places in various distributaries of Mahanadi.
“Though water level has started receding, the amount of water passing through the Mahanadi river system is large enough to cause damage. We have pressed NDRF, ODRAF and fire services personnel to rescue the marooned people,” he said, adding that local authorities have been asked to use schools, colleges, kalyan mandaps as shelter houses.
In Bhubaneswar, the flood in Daya river, a distributary of Mahanadi, flooded the suburbs of Sundarpada and Pradhan Sahi with people in several high-rises rescued by fire services and ODRAF personnel.
Meanwhile, officials said a low pressure area formed over northeast and adjoining areas of eastcentral Bay of Bengal on Thursday might bring rainfall to the districts of Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Jajpur over the next 1-2 days and may cause a flood in the Baitarani river basin.
State BJP chief Sameer Mohanty alleged that the lackadaisical attitude of the government in reinforcing the river embankments caused several breaches.
“The safety review of river embankments has been pending for three years, as a result we are left with submerged roads and inundated villages. The state government has completely neglected the Mahanadi over the last 22 years. The Odisha government only believes in blowing its own trumpet but the actual benefits elude the common man,” he added.