Fresh floods in Odisha hit five districts, thousands evacuated after heavy rain

At least five districts of Odisha have been affected by fresh floods (Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Keonjhar) following two days of heavy rainfall, prompting authorities to evacuate people from low-lying areas and open relief centres, officials said.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Pravakar Patil said residents of villages in 45 gram panchayats in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Jajpur districts are being evacuated and shifted to relief centres, where cooked food is being provided. He said the rise in water levels in the Jalaka and Budhabalanga rivers has caused floods in Balasore town, Basta and Bhograi area, where people have been provided with relief materials.

Patil said Balasore's district administration has been cautioned, as the Subarnarekha river was also swelling. "At least 17 rescue teams, including 10 of Odisha Disaster Response Force (ODRAF) and seven of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been deployed in Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts. Besides, fire services personnel have also been engaged in rescue and relief operations," the SRC said.

Keonjhar district also witnessed floods, as the water level in the Baitarani river increased due to heavy rain, another official said. Joda, Champua, Barbil and Anandapur blocks have been affected, and water has entered localities after a breach in the Anandapur ring embankment. Floodwater was flowing over a state highway near Serenda, and the administration has shifted people from vulnerable areas to flood shelters, the official said.

Another official in Balasore district said around 90 villages in 17 panchayats in Basta block have been affected by floodwaters from the Jalaka river, which was flowing at 7.4 metres against the danger level of 6.5 metres in the Mathani area in Basta. Three ODRAF teams and fire services personnel have been deployed for rescue operations, the official said.

The district was witnessing flooding for the second time this monsoon, he said, with major rivers such as the Budhabalanga, Jalaka and Subarnarekha in spate. The Budhabalanga has also crossed the warning level, with the administration shifting around 3,000 people from vulnerable areas to safer places. Many villages along the low-lying areas of the Jalaka and Budhabalanga rivers have been affected, he said.

An official in Mayurbhanj district said floodwater from the Budhabalanga has entered low-lying areas in Baripada municipality, and the administration is evacuating people to safer locations. In Rasgovindpur block of Mayurbhanj, around four feet of water was flowing over the bridge at Sarumula, disrupting traffic, while the Baripada-Amarda Road has also been affected. The Budhabalanga was flowing over the Kaliami bridge in Bangiriposi.

Jajpur district witnessed its fourth round of floods this monsoon, as water levels rose in the Baitarani river and its tributary, the Kani, another official said. Floodwater from the Kani river has entered several villages through a breach at Dovabil Patana in Tarpada panchayat, inundating some villages and severely affecting road communication. The district has been reeling under floods for over a month, since the first deluge was reported on July 6, followed by a second on July 18, a third on August 8 and the latest on August 13, the official said.

Meanwhile, the IMD in its latest bulletin said the depression over Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal had moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph in the six hours to 8:30 a.m. Friday and lay centred about 20 km southeast of Ranchi. "It is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards across Jharkhand and north Chhattisgarh and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area in the next 12 hours," the IMD mentioned.

The weather agency issued an "orange" warning for the districts of Sundergarh, Bargarh, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall till 8.30 a.m. Saturday. It also forecast heavy rainfall in 14 other districts, and squally winds reaching 40-50 kmph along and off the Odisha-West Bengal coast in the next 12 hours.

As sea conditions are likely to remain rough, fishermen were advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal till the morning of August 15. The IMD suggested hoisting Local Cautionary Signal No-III (LC-3) at all ports of Odisha.