Flood situation in Jajpur, Bhadrak grim, says Odisha govt

Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Bhubaneswar, Aug 5:

The flood situation in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts in Odisha remains grim, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Mohapatra said today.

Briefing newsmen here, the SRC said while the rise in the water level in river Baitarini had caused floods in Jajpur district, floods in Bhadrak was due to a swelling river Salandi.

Mohapatra said the death toll due to floods and rains till date stood at 23. He said most of the deaths were either due to drowning or caving in of walls.

The SRC said 17,000 people had been served with cooked food in five flood affected districts. He informed 24 gates of Hirakud Dam will be opened by noon today to release flood water as 5 lakh cusecs of flood water was entering the dam every second due to heavy rains in Chhattisgarh upstream of Hirakud Dam.

Mohapatra said Mahanadi has to be kept under watch for the next three days in view of the flood release by Hirakud Dam.

He said Dasarathpur, Jajpur and Korei blocks in Jajpur district were the worst affected.