Although the river Budhabalanga was receding giving a sigh of relief to the riverside residents, the Subarnarekha continued to give sleepless nights in Baleswar district.
The Subarnarekha was flowing above the danger mark at 10.46 metre by 3 pm on Wednesday. The forecast was that the river could swell further as excess water from a dam in Jharkhand was being released into it.
The other rivers, Jalka and Kansabansha, also were above the danger level. The Jalka was flowing at 5.62 metre, Kanshabansha, at 7.60 metre but Budhabalanga was flowing at 6.98 meter.
The official records said 65 gram panchayats were affected so far in the flood, but given the rising water level of several rivers, it was apprehended that around 100 gram panchayats could be affected.
A total of five, including two each from Sadar and Simulia and one from Khaira, were killed in the flood. District Emergency Officer Padmanabh Dora said, “We are keeping a strict watch on the situation and have alerted all the concerned officers.”