BALASORE: The flood situation in low-lying areas in Balasore slightly improved on Friday with Subarnarekha river flowing at 9.24 m, just below the warning level of 9.45 m at Rajghat in Basta block.
Although the Jalaka and Budhabalanga rivers are also flowing below the danger levels, several villages in Bhograi, Baliapal, Jaleswar, Basta and Balasore Sadar blocks continue to be inundated by the flood.
Residents of some villages in Baliapal block are forced to take boats to reach their destinations and Baliapal town for emergency needs, as floodwaters have submerged roads, making them barely visible.
In Bhograi block, several village roads that were inundated earlier became visible on Friday morning following a receding of floodwater. Roads from Thana chowk to Kamarda chowk, Dahamunda to Kamarda and Kusuda to Baharda in Bhograi block remain submerged or difficult to identify at several stretches, disrupting communication.
Similarly, roads from Paschimbar to Jaleswar, Paschimbar to Baiganbadia and Namkhana to Jharpimpal have been affected by the flood. Flood-affected villagers demanded that the district administration provide cooked and dry food as well as drinking water at relief shelters.
Balasore MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi reviewed the flood situation in Baliapal block on the day and distributed relief material to the flood-affected people.
District emergency officer Chinmay Kumar Rout said the flood situation had improved on the day following a receding of water in the Subarnarekha river. He said around 40,000 people in 330 villages under 50 gram panchayats had been affected by flooding in the Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga and Jalaka rivers. The district administration has opened 100 free kitchens to provide hot cooked meals to around 22,000 evacuated and stranded people. Dry food items such as flattened rice and jaggery are also being distributed, he said.
So far, around 2,500 quintal of flattened rice and 213 quintal of jaggery have been distributed among flood-affected people in the affected blocks. The administration has also distributed 273 tonnes of cattle feed to protect livestock from the impact of the floods, the officer added.