5.30l people of 533 villages affected
The flood situation in Jajpur district worsened on Thursday as more waters entered in the areas under Binjharpur block.
A total of 5.30 lakh people in 533 villages in 127 gram panchayats under Badachana, Dharmasala, Bari, Jajpur, Dasarathpur, Rasulpur, Korei and Binjharpur blocks have been affected due to the floods.
“The Baitarani and its tributaries breached at six places in Bari block and 10 gram panchayats have been marooned due to these breaches. Similarly, 14 weak points have been identified on embankments of which 12 are highly vulnerable,” district Collector Anil Kumar Samal said, adding that senior engineers and experts along with police forces have been sent there to keep constant vigil.
He said adequate numbers of boats have been deployed to rescue marooned people. While 5,29,763 people have been affected in the flood, the district administration has provided relief to them for three days, he added.
The main road from Bari to Ratnagiri has been cut off as five-foot-high water was flowing on the 10-km-long road.
About 1,200 mud-wall houses have been destroyed. large numbers of flood-affected people have been evacuated with their belongings in Dasarathpur, Bari, Dharmasala, Jajpur and Korei blocks.
Floods brought disaster in some areas under Binjharpur and Bari blocks on Thursday. About 30 gram panchayats with a population of over 1.60 lakh have remained cut off from the mainland. Thousands of people are still trapped in the flood waters waiting for food, drinking water and medicines in both the blocks.
The floods also blocked traffic on the main road at Panikoili. The release of water from the Hirakud Dam has caused Bramahani, Baitarani and Kharosrota and their tributaries to swell further and inundate villages.