The number of affected population in the current rains and floods shot up to 24.28 lakh on Friday with official human casualty recorded at 21.
However, of the 23 affected districts, flood situation in major parts in five coastal districts such as Cuttack, Kendrapada, Puri, Jajpur and Bhadrak continued to remain grim even though the water level in major rivers of the State receded and there was no rainfall. The situation was improving in Jagatsinghpur and Khurda.
Still an estimated 1.63 lakh people in 281 villages were marooned for the last five days since August 3 last and a majority of residents were from the worst affected Jajpur district. The highest 65 villages were reported marooned in Nayagarha district, followed by 49 in Kendrapara, 43 in Puri, 38 in Bhadrak, 36 in Khurda and 20 in Sambalpur. About 23,626 houses were damaged, 2.50 lakh hectares of crop were damaged and over 5.73 lakh livestock were also affected in 4,731 villages under 1,257 Gram Panchayats and 27 Urban local bodies.
Deputy Relief Commissioner Pravat Kumar Mohapatra said that though the water level in Mahanadi was flowing slightly above danger level of 26.41 meter following the arrival of the excess flood water discharged from the Hirakud reservoir on Friday evening, almost all the major rivers were in receding trend and some were steady. There is no cause of panic or concern in the Mahanadi system as outflow was limited by closing eight more gates. By Friday evening, the outflow from the reservoir was 5.22 lakh cusecs through 30 gates and the discharge at the Mundali was around 11 lakh cusecs, he said.
The situation is likely to become normal in the worst affected Jajpur and Bhadrak after 24 hours considering the falling trend due to no rainfall in upstream of river Baitarani during the last 36 hours, Mohapatra said.
The distribution of relief materials had been in full swing in both the districts as total 74,000 affected people remaining in relief camps and safer place were given food at 210 free kitchens in 12 districts. Besides, seven days more relief would be provided to the affected people considering the situation, he said.
The highest number of human casualty was reported from Baragarh where ten people were killed followed by five in Mayurbhanj, four each in Jajpur and Sambalpur, three in Bhadrak and two each in Kendrapara and Khurda. Boudh, Deogarha, Dhenkanal, Kandhamal, Keonjhar and Koraput reported one death each.