Inflow of water from WB maroons 10 villages in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 2:

Though the flood situation in North Odisha districts has improved considerably with all major rivers flowing under the danger marks, several villages are still surrounded by the floodwaters till date.

Briefing the media here last night, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) GVV Sarma said inflow of rainwater from neighbouring West Bengal, which experienced heavy rains over the last two days under the influence of cyclonic storm ‘Komen’, marooned about 10 villages in the bordering Baleswar district on Saturday.

Sarma said five persons had lost their lives in the current floods – two in Baleswar district and one each in Jajpur, Bhadrak and Keonjhar districts. The flood in the four major rivers in north Odisha had affected 4.79 lakh people in 597 villages.

Reports from Baleswar said over 50 villages of 17 panchayats of Bhogarai block are still surrounded by floodwaters. With road connections to these panchayats disrupted, people are seen moving from one place to other by boats.

“We have expedited relief and rescue works in those areas where the floodwaters have receded. The district administration has 30 country boats while the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has provided 30 additional boats to carry out relief and rescue work. Besides, the ODRAF and NDRF teams have also been engaged in rescue and relief operations,” said Baleswar collector Sanatan Mallick.

Mallick said keeping the possibility of outbreak of water-borne diseases, the district administration has kept enough stock of medicines, anti-venom injections and ORS packets. “We have sent a team of doctors to the flood-hit villages to check the health condition of the people,” he said.

“Besides, we have taken special measures to supply drinking water to the affected villages. We have drained out floodwaters from about 350 tube wells which were submerged. The Public Health Department (PHD) has been asked to supply drinking water in tankers to the villagers where the floodwaters have receded. Apart from this, we have made provisions to supply drinking water pouches to the villages which are still surrounded by floodwaters,” the collector added.

Reports from Mayurbhanj and Jajpur districts said the situation is limping back to normalcy as the floodwaters have started receding from most parts in the low-lying areas.

In Kendrapara districts, the floodwaters of Kharasrota and Kani rivers have entered several villages of Singhagan and Dandi Sahi panchayats under Pattamundai block of which Dandi Sahi, Krushnadaspur, Sana Fogala and Bada Fogala have been badly affected.

Though the floodwaters in these areas have started receding, some of the villages are still surrounded by floodwaters.