Although the water level of the Subarnarekha river dipped close to the warning level, yet miseries of the residents of the affected villages of four blocks including Baliapal, Bhograi, Jaleswar and Basta have not lessened.
While several villages are still lying marooned others are waterlogged. A vast patch of agricultural lands are under the flood water, although it was receding.
Baliapal is the worst affected block due to effect of the swelling of the Subarnarekha river and the GPs are Asti , Bishnupur, Nikhira, Madhupura ,Kumbhari, Ghantua and Baliapal. The worst affected villages are Nayabali, Rasalpur, Ramnagar, Ikidapal and Bishnupur (Bishnupur GP), Palachampei, Chootkhanpur and Badkhanpur (Asti GP), Chaddhapalapada (Nikhira GP), Chaudharykuda (Madhupura GP), Kudmansing (Baliapal GP) and Kulachada, Palapada and Nakhapal (Jamkunda GP).
The residents have been evacuated by the district administration to safer places and are provided with cooked food and other essential facilities. As many as 224 villages including Bhograi, Jaleswar ,Basta, Baliapal, Baleswar Sadar and Remuna were affected. Among the affected the highest 103 are in Baliapal followed by 54 villages in Jaleswar.
According to official reports, about 40,000 people were evacuated and lodged in 213 shelters and were provided with free kitchen arrangements through 175 centres. The district administration, besides sending fodder and poultry feeds for the cattle and livestock, also has begun disinfection of water bodies, mainly the tube-wells.
In the meanwhile, a 12- year-old boy drowned on Monday coming under the current of flood water. The deceased has been identified as Janmejaya Mohapatra. Reports said the deceased while crossing a road near Palasia, slipped in the water and later drowned. After missing for hours his body was recovered. On Tuesday, although a priest of Baliapal was swept away in the flood water, he was rescued by the neighbours.