JAJPUR: There is no respite from floods for people of Jajpur district. Flood in Baitarani has thrown life out of gear in Jajpur affecting over 40,000 people in 30 panchayats under four blocks.
According to reports, 40 villages under 14 gram panchayats of Dasarathpur block, 12 villages of Korei block and 10 villages under Jajpur block have been marooned. Water is flowing above the road connecting Bhandaripokhari with Jajpur and Panikoili with Amrutia.
Vehicular communication in many parts of Dasarathapur block has also been snapped as several roads in various gram panchayats have been flooded. Many villages under Kamardihi, Kainya, Dharampur, Biripata, Palatpur, Jafarpur and Patapur panchayats of Dasarathapur block in the district are still waterlogged. Baitarani has submerged paddy and vegetable crops in both Dasarathapur and Koeri blocks.
Though the district did not receive any rainfall on Friday, flood water in Baitarani river is yet to recede. Holidays of the government employees of the district have been cancelled on September 8 and 9 while, special ODRAF and NDRF teams deployed in Dasarathapur and Korei blocks.
Flood water also entered Kainagola Primary Health Centre and Kainagola Nodal High School on Friday. Jajpur Collector Ranjan Kumar Das said 100-odd people of Kantitar village were evacuated and shifted to Kuanla High School in Dasarathapur.
At least 20 free kitchens have been opened in Dasarathapur and Binjharpur blocks of the district.
Baitarini in spate: 4 dists put on alert
Bhubaneswar: With flood in Baitarini making lives miserable in some parts of the State, Special Relief Commission (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi on Saturday asked collectors of four districts - Jajpur, Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Kendrapara - to take measures on a war-footing to deal with the flood situation. “We have put Collectors of the four districts on alert and instructed them to take necessary steps to deal with the crisis arising out of the situation,” Sethi said and added that holidays of government employees in the districts have been cancelled on Sunday.
The government has also deployed ODRAF, fire service personnel and NDRF teams in the affected areas, while power boats have also been pressed into service in inundated areas of Bhadrak and Jajpur. Emergency operation centres at State and district level are functioning round-the-clock to help flood victims and coordinate with others in carrying out relief and rescue work, he said.