With little rainfall in the last 24 hours, there was a slight improvement in the flood situation in five north Odisha districts on Thursday.
Reports said a 10-year-old boy, Sima Jena, was swept away by floodwater of Baitarani at lalbag Balighai under Panasa panchayat in Jajpur block on Wednesday even as the bodies of the two persons swept away by the surging waters of Budhabalanga in Baleswar on Wednesday were recovered by ODRAF personnel.
Darasing Sahu (42) and his cousin Madhav Sahu (18) encountered the mishap when they were coming to market.
“The bodies were found and the kin of the deceased will be given compensation of Rs 4 lakh each as per new guidelines,” said Baleswar district Emergency Officer Padmanabh Dora.
Around 20 villages of Aradi, Nandapur and Sundarpur panchayats under Chandbali block in Bhadrak have been surrounded by floodwater following a 15-feet long breach in the Baitarani embankment at Olaga on Wednesday night.
However, the breach has been sealed by the villagers and Water Resources department staff of Dhamnagar block.
Another breach took place in the Baitarani embankment at Sathibankuda near Aradi under Chadbali block on Wednesday. Though the villagers had closed the breach with the help of the Water Resources department staff, the breach opened again at about 1 am. As a result, floodwater has entered nearby villages.
“There is no further rise in the water level of the river since there was no rainfall yesterday and this morning. We expect that the water level of the river would come down below the danger mark by noon,” Bhadrak Emergency Officer Rajendra Kumar Panda.
The water level in the Baitarani river, flowing at a height of 19.26 metre against the danger mark of 17.83 metre at Akhuapada till Wednesday, has come down to 17.91 metre on Thursday morning, reports said.
In Jajpur district, floodwaters of Budha and Kani rivers, the tributaries of Bairatani, have entered several villages of Dasarathpur, Jajpur and Korei blocks following two breaches in the embankments of Baitarani and Kani rivers on Wednesday. About 16 villages of seven panchayats under Korei block are surrounded by floodwater.
Due to overflowing floodwater at Michuali on Amrutia-Tarakot road, road communication between Panikoili and Tarakot has been disrupted while the district administration has failed to reach out to the affected villages.
The people of the affected villages have complained that no assistance from the district administration has reached them so far.
Meanwhile, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams and the Fire brigade personnel have been deployed in the flood-hit areas of the district for rescue and relief works.
In Keonjhar district, the situation was improving as there was no overnight rain in the upper catchments. At Anandpur, Baitarani was flowing under the danger mark.
The flood situation in Baleswar improved on Thursday as the water level receded in Subarnarekha and Jalka although they are above the danger level.
On Thursday afternoon (4 pm) the Subarnarekha was flowing at 10.55 metre against the danger level 10.36 metre while Jalka was flowing at 5.6 metre against the danger level of 5.5 metre.
District Collector Santan Mallick visited north parts of the district. A 30 feet breach has occurred near Dahamunda. Around 250 people of Bhograi are given free food.
“Dry foods are being provided to 400 people in three places, Jaleswar, Bhograi and Baliapal. The breach occurred near Kharadipipal is under repair on war footing,” said Mallick.
According the official sources 32,000 people of 115 villages under 32 gram panchayta of Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta and Baliapal block are affected in the flood.
