North Odisha is grappling with severe flooding as the Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers are flowing above their danger levels, leading to the inundation of over 160 villages and affecting thousands of people across the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur, officials informed on Monday, August 25.
While 114 villages in Balasore district’s Baliapal, Bhograi, and Jaleswar blocks have been submerged by the Subarnarekha River, the Baitarani River has caused widespread flooding in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts.
Reports of human habitation being inundated by floodwater were also reported from Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts.
Speaking to reporters, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, said, “Jajpur has been worst hit this time due to a breach on the embankment of river Kani, a tributary of the Baitarani river.”
District administrations have already initiated rescue and relief operations, he said.
The minister, however, expressed optimism that the situation will improve on Tuesday as water levels in major rivers have stabilized.
“We hope that the water level will decline in the next 12 hours,” he added.
“We hope that the water level will decline in the next 12 hours, and the peak flood is still passing through rivers Subarnarekha and Baitarani,” he said.
“We have started evacuation operations and arranged food and shelter for the affected people. Medical teams, including doctors, are deployed, and special arrangements have been made for children and the elderly,” Jajpur Collector Ambar Kumar Kar said, adding that shelter homes have been set up with all basic amenities and no casualties have been reported so far.
In a dramatic rescue, ODRAF personnel on Monday saved a 23-day-old baby girl and her family who were surrounded by floodwater in Ahiyas village under Kaspa panchayat of Jajpur district.
“We have rescued the baby and her family members who were encircled by flood water,” said Parsuram Jena, an ODRAF jawan.
Meanwhile, Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) Central Division, Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar visited the flood-hit Madhupura and Chaudhurikud areas of Baliapal block and reviewed the situation, as per a report from Balasore.
She interacted with local residents and panchayat members and inspected the situation at the ground level.
“Twenty-six gram panchayats of Baliapal, Bhograi and Jalaswar have been affected by the flood, 114 villages are under water. Free kitchens have been set up at 13 places,” an official at the Emergency office in Balasore said, adding that 22 government boats have been deployed to ferry people from the affected areas.
In neighbouring Bhadrak district, the overflowing Baitarani river, flowing above the danger mark at Akhuapada, reportedly flooded Dhamnagar and Bhandaripohgari blocks.
A number of villages were inundated in Dasarathpur block in Jajapur due to a breach in an embankment of the Kani River. Parts of the Sundergarh district have also been inundated by the Baitrani river.
“The water level of another river, Brahmani, is also rising,” Water Resources Department’s Engineer-in-Chief Chandrasekhar Padhi said, adding the Subarnarekha was flowing above the danger mark in Balasore’s Rajghat at 8 pm.
Padhi further said that there was a 30-metre breach in the embankment of Kani, a tributary of Baitarani, near Ahiyaas Bazar in Kaspa in Jajpur.
A number of villages in the Dasarathpur block have been flooded due to the breach, he said.
“Our men and material are ready to repair the breach as soon as the water level declines,” he added.
In parts of Bhadrak, schools and anganwadi centres have been shut for two days in view of the inclement weather.
A report from Jajpur district said that incessant rains in the upper catchment area of the Baitarani River has triggered floods in the region. The Kani embankment breach has marooned over 40 villages of 14 panchayats under the Dasarathapur block.
A senior official in the Water Resources department, sharing details of the situation, informed that the Baitarani River was flowing above the danger mark at Akhuapada.
“Baitarani river’s water level reached 18.86 meters on Monday evening, significantly above the danger mark of 18.33 meters at Akhuapada,” said Jajpur district Emergency officer Ashok Kumar Behera.
