Seventeen people have died in the fresh spell of flood that has hit the coastal districts of Orissa since Friday.
A total of 3,128 villages in 10 districts have been affected by the incessant rain and flood, which has marooned 1,114 villages. Jajpur, Kendrapada, Keonjhar and Bhadrak were the worst affected districts, informed Pradipta Mohapatra, special relief commissioner.
The state government has provided relief through 258 camps and pressed six choppers into service to air drop food packets. This second spell of flood that hit the state just two weeks after the first one, has affected 2.17 million people, said Mohapatra. Mining activity in mineral rich Keonjhar district and in steel hub Jajpur has been halted due to the severe flood. The state government has stopped mineral transportation in Keonjhar- Paradip route for smooth passage of relief vehicles.