Flash floods maroon thousands of villagers in Odisha

Around 10,000 people were marooned after Cyclone Phailin, due to incessant rainfall in Odisha, triggering a rise in floodwaters, inundating houses, clogging roads and paralysing normal life. Non-stop rains in the cyclone-hit Gajapati district of the state have led to the increase in water levels of the rivers. An emergency officer, Basanta Kumar Hota said rescue operations were going on in 654 villages affected by floods and people were being shifted to safer destinations. The flash floods have made life miserable for the people in Gajapati district. A Resident, Dhanalaxmi said though the relief supplies were being distributed by the administration but still food had not reached many of the stranded families in the villages.