In two separate incidents, two persons of Bachharai Gram Panchayat under Marshaghai block were swept away in the swirling floodwaters while they were going to take bath in the luna river on Wednesday.
They were identified as Biswajit Swain alias Mantu (18) of Godhana village and Agani Nayak, a retired Government employee, of Balikuda village.
They were feared to be drowned in the luna river while taking bath. An NDRF team and a local fire brigade team started a search operation to trace out Biswajit, but in vain.
However, Agani’s body was fished out, said Sub Collector cum relief and rescue operation in-charge for Marshaghai block Pratap Kumar Mishra.
Meanwhile, keeping in mind the possible high floods, the district administration sounded an alert in the riverside villages. The district administration also asked the villagers to come to safer place by announcing through public address system.
The district administration has taken all the possible relief and rescue measures to face the possible eventuality. It engaged two country and 12 power boats along with engaging five NDRF boats, one ODRAF team, two boats of SRC and three boats of fire service.
On Wednesday, it wrote a letter to the commandant of Coast Guard, Paradip, to send two more boats along with crew members for rescue operation. Besides, it urged the SRC to provide six more boats, one ODRA team and two teams of fire tender personnel.
The Kendrapara SP was urged to organise patrolling in river embankments so that man-made breach should be restricted.
A platoon of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) was deployed in Marshaghai block, whereas one section of IRB was deployed in Mahakalapada and Garadpur block each. All the necessary relief stuffs were stocked in the district and relief materials were also sent to inaccessible pockets.
Meanwhile, about a feet high flood water was flowing at Chandabali—Cuttack road near Patrapur bridge and Kasanianta in Pattamundai. Several riverside village roads were cut off from the mainstream whereas several villages were marooned.