Floods affect nearly one million people in Odisha

23 districts hit, 241,658 people still marooned

The raging floods on major rivers induced by incessant rain has affected nearly one million people in the state, affecting 23 out of 30 districts with 241,658 still marooned, data provided by the office of the special relief commissioner said.

The flood situation is especially grave in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts due to swelling Baitarani river despite the state government's intensified efforts to rescue stranded people.

“The floods have affected a total population of 994,965 in 1,553 villages, mostly in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts. But the current flood is less intense compared to the one in 2011. We have evacuated 139,023 flood hit people,” said Special Relief Commissioner Pradipta K Mohapatra.

As many as 184 boats have been pressed into service to rescue the people to safer places.

Also, 11 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 30 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed to flood affected areas.

The human casualty due to the floods has reached 27.

Till evening, 50 gates of Hirakud dam were opened to release flood waters. The flow of flood water in Mahanadi river reached a menacing level of 12 lakh cusecs at Mundali in Cuttack district.

The districts of Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Puri are set to be worst hit by the high flood in Mahanadi river system.

Similarly, flooding in another major river Baitarani has left around 400,000 people stranded.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, however, maintained that the flood situation is under control.

“The flood situation is under control. I have just reviewed it. The officers are hard at work to control it,” he said after a high level review meeting. The Union home minister Rajnath Singh has assured all help to Odisha to combat the flood situation after talking to Patnaik over the phone. Singh is understood to have informed the chief minister that the Centre will provide all cooperation and support in relief and rehabilitation measures as and when required. He said, the Centre has already despatched NDRF teams to Odisha to help in the relief and rescue operations.