Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Salepur, Nov 12:

Over 200 families were marooned following a breach in the embankment of Kendrapara Main Canal at Kolanpur village in Salepur block of Odisha’s Cuttack district today.

Odisha floodAccording to reports, a 30-feet section of the canal embankment suddenly breached in the morning. Soon after, water gushed into seven wards of Kolanpur panchayat at a height of four feet and entered the houses of the people, who were completely taken off-guard.

While property over lakhs of rupees was damaged, some people in these wards managed to take shelter on the canal embankment with their household articles and cattle.

While denying the charge of poor work led to the breach, an official of the irrigation department attributed it to 'sandy soil'.

The breach led to an acute shortage of drinking water as all the tube wells in these wards were submerged by the overflowing canal water that has badly damaged over 200 acres of paddy fields.

Following the incident, Mahanga BJD MLA Pratap Jena and police rushed to the affected areas.

Till reports last came in, evacuation of water from the low-lying areas of these seven wards has begun.

While Kolanpur sarpanch Prasant Jena has demanded immediate relief, supply of drinking water and cattle feed to the affected families, the Mahanga MLA has assured all possible assistance to the affected families.

“The district administration has taken all possible measures to shift the affected families to safer places. Besides, the administration would also provide free kitchen to them till the situation improves”, the Mahanga MLA said.