The Mahanadi is in full spate for the past 30 hours with the release of Hirakud Dam water through 46 sluice gates since Saturday. With the arrival of water, both Athagarh and Banki subdivisions in Cuttack District have been very badly affected.
Several villages in all the blocks under the two subdivisions have been hit. In Tigiria block, villages like Chasanra, Paikinra and Tentulia have remained marooned for the last three days with water flowing at 5 ft height on roads.
Food Supply, Consumer Welfare and Co-operative Minister and local MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain visited the villages and extended reliefs to the villagers.
Over 18,000 people and over 3,000 heads of cattle have been affected in the block. In Athagarh block, over a dozen of villages have been marooned for the last two days. In Banki, a river embankment breached for which several villages were marooned and hundreds of acres of farm fields submerged.
In Damapada block, about 11,600 people belonging to 10 villages have been hit. Athagarh Sub-Collector Ajambar Mohanty and Banki Sub-Collector Ranjan Jena visited the affected areas and took stock of the situation.
