BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Monday said the flood situation in the districts has begun to abate with water-level in the overflowing Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers showing receding signs.
Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari told mediapersons that the flood situation was under control and the situation will improve by Tuesday. The district administrations have been asked to assess the damage and submit their reports as early as possible. Payment of compensation to the affected people will start immediately after, he added.
Pujari said districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak have been affected due to the incessant rains and subsequent floods. “Jajpur district has been the worst-affected in the flood this time. Around 46 villages of 14 gram panchayats of the district have been affected,” he said.
Engineer-in-chief of Water Resources department Chandrasekhar Padhi said a 30 metre breach occured in the embankment of Kani river, a tributary of Baitarani at Kaspa in Jajpur district. A number of villages in Dasarathpur block have been inundated due to the gushing waters. Several villages in Balasore district were inundated due to the overflowing Subarnarekha river. In neighbouring Bhadrak district, floodwaters of Baitarani entered Dhamnagar and Bhandaripokhari blocks.
According to the control room of Special Relief Commissioner, the water-level of Subarnarekha river at Rajghat was 10.55 metre as against the danger level of 10.36 metre. It has come down from 11.4 metre in the morning.