At least 16 people have died in flood-related incidents in Odisha, where the situation remained grim even as major rivers were receding today.
Two deaths each were reported from Bhadrak, Jajpur and Nayagarh districts while in worst-hit Ganjam district it remained unchanged at six and four in Jagatsinghpur, Special Relief Commissioner P K Mohapatra told reporters here after the situation was reviewed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"All the deaths were due to wall collapse and drowning," Mohapatra said.
Major rivers like Rusikulya, Godahada and Vansadhara were flowing below the danger mark, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the incessant rains and floods have caused severe damage to public and private property and standing crop.
He announced three-day relief for the affected people as per provisions under the Relief Code.
It would be distributed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts, SRC office sources said.Two of the three helicopters used for rescue operationsin Ganjam district would return to base shortly with the remaining one to be retained for relief operations, the relief commissioner said.
Relief teams could now approach inundated areas in boats, he added.
Over 5.32 lakh people in 2,276 villages were affected by the floods, while about 1.47 lakh people were evacuated.
Of the 129 villages inundated in Ganjam district by flash flood yesterday, water receded in its 69 villages.
An IMD bulletin said that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur over the next 48 hours at one or two places over Koraput, Malkangiri, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kalahandi districts and heavy rainfall at one or two places over north Odisha.
Railway sources said that the Konark Express from Bhubaneswar to Mumbai would resume from the day as water has receded from the tracks.