BARIPADA/BALASORE: Around 25,000 people were affected by the floods in Balasore and Mayurbhanj as hundreds of villages continued to remain under water in both the districts.
In Balasore, the flood situation worsened in Basta, Remuna, Jaleswar, Bahanaga and Balasore Sadar blocks. More than 20,000 people in 171 villages under 43 panchayats were affected.
According to official reports, Jalaka river was flowing at 7.28 metre against the danger mark of 6.50 metre. District emergency officer Chinmay Kumar Rout said the administration evacuated more than 19,000 people from the five blocks as floodwaters from Jalaka and Budhabalanga rivers entered villages.
The district administration has deployed 16 medical and nine veterinary teams in the flood-hit areas. At least 68 free kitchens have been opened to provide cooked and dry food to the affected people.
In Mayurbhanj, collector Hemakanta Say and SP Varun Guntupalli visited the flood-affected areas of Betnoti and Badasahi blocks on the day. They also distributed dry food to the affected people.
Officials said floodwaters from Budhabalanga river has entered more than 56 villages. Mayurbhanj ADM Iswar Chandra Naik said 5,000 people in 124 villages under 54 panchayats and eight wards of Baripada municipality have been affected by the floods.
Around 14 free kitchens have been opened to provide food to the affected people. Around 215 houses have been damaged in heavy rains and the floods, Naik added.