Majhi to survey flooded Ganjam, Gajapati as Rushikulya runs 2m above danger mark

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari will make an aerial survey of flood-hit Ganjam and Gajapati districts at noon on Friday, with official data showing more than 1,000 villages under water and the Rushikulya river still running about two metres above its danger mark.

According to state government figures, 299 villages in 22 blocks of Ganjam and 711 villages in seven blocks of Gajapati have been inundated. In Ganjam alone 42,500 people have been affected and 22 villages are marooned. Across nine districts, 59,028 people have been moved to relief shelters, with 313 rescue teams deployed — nine NDRF, 60 ODRAF and 244 fire service units.

The India Meteorological Department said Arnab has weakened into a deep depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha, but the rain it has already dumped is the problem. In the 24 hours to 8.30 am on Thursday, Patrapur recorded 546 mm, Sorada 503 mm, G Udayagiri 462 mm and Mahendragarh 458 mm — among the heaviest 24-hour spells the state has recorded.

The Rushikulya is flowing at 19 metres at Purushottampur against a danger level of 16.8 metres. The Vansadhara, Mahendratanaya and Bahuda are also in spate, and the Bahuda has breached the danger mark at two rail bridges. National Highway 326 between Ganjam and Mohana has been washed away. Thirty-six trains have been cancelled and 30 diverted on the Howrah–Chennai route.

Rescue remains the constraint. A Coast Guard ALH Mk-III helicopter winched six people, including two children, from a flooded primary health centre at Jagmohan in Dharakote block, but low cloud is slowing the airlift of around 2,000 people still stranded.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to the chief ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry, and central inter-ministerial teams are to visit the affected states.

Politically, the Congress on Friday demanded that the Centre lead coordinated relief with the states and route assistance through the PMCARES fund. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said he was "deeply distressed by the loss of lives in Andhra Pradesh and the massive disruption to people's lives in Odisha", while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, in a post on Thursday night, urged the governments to ensure "swift relief and rehabilitation for every affected family".

Andhra Pradesh has reported seven deaths. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu put the preliminary loss at Rs 4,600 crore, including Rs 500 crore of damage to the power network, with 2.24 lakh hectares of standing crop hit — the number farmers will be watching when compensation is announced. The state health department said 3,100 pregnant women were shifted to hospitals ahead of the storm and 367 deliveries were recorded.

IMD has flagged a fresh low-pressure area over the South Andaman Sea that is intensifying, with a watch over the next 48 hours.

(With inputs from PTI and media reports)