BHUBANESWAR: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday said there was a marked improvement in flood situation with water level of Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers receding below the danger mark.
Barring Jajpur where over 45 villages have been inundated due to the breach in Kani river, he said, all affected districts have attained near normalcy. Over 5,000 people from the affected areas of Jajpur have been shifted to flood shelters. Cooked and dry food are being provided to them, he said.
Many people have been evacuated and sheltered in relief camps in other districts like Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh. The damage caused by the floods will be assessed soon and compensation given to the affected people after reports are submitted by the collectors.
Engineer-in-chief of Water Resources department Chandrasekhar Padhi said water level of Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers will drop further as rains have stopped in catchment areas. Subarnarekha was flowing below the danger level at Jamsholaghat in Mayurbhanj and Rajghat in Balasore.
At Jamsholaghat, the water level was 48.7 metre against the danger mark of 49.16 metre while at Rajghat, it had dropped to 10.33 metre as against the danger level of 10.36 metre. Similarly, Baitarani at Akhuapada has dropped to 17.68 metre against the danger mark of 18.33 metre.