Even though water level in major rivers of North Odisha has started receding, people are apprehensive of nature’s fury with the weatherman predicting heavy rain in next 24 hours.
While the water level in river Subarnarekha reached 10.25 metre mark as against its danger level of 10.36 metre, Budhabalanga and Baitarini rivers were also flowing below the red mark. Water level of Jalaka, though, was above the danger mark at Mathani on Thursday evening. Sources said so far three death cases have been reported from Mayurbhanj district while 20 villages were marooned in Balasore and Bhadrak districts. One Tilakhanda Patra (58) of Balipasi village under Thakurmunda block died when a portion of wall of his house collapsed on him. People in nearly 75 villages under two blocks each in Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak and five blocks in Balasore district have been affected and crop in over 50,000 ha submerged.
People of Palapada, Mankidia, Palachampei, Chada Badhapal, Manu Nagar and Rasulpur are spending sleepless nights due to frequent breaches in embankment of Subarnarekha. While the river has engulfed two houses in Mankidia village, the house of one Panchanan Barik of Rasalpur was totally damaged.
A resident of Baliapal Sukanta Giri said apart from the six villages which are marooned, 10 more villages are cut off from the mainland as the flood water of the river has submerged the connecting roads to these human habitations. Similarly, two temporary bridges have been washed away in the flood water of Budhabalanga in Mayurbhanj district. Several road links were cut off disrupting vehicular communications to interior parts of the district. Similarly, many RD and PWD roads along riverside and seaside villages in Baliapal, Jaleswar and Bhogarai blocks of Balasore district also have been submerged.
Sources said 11 students of Rasikananda Nodal school at Kishoripur under Betnoti block had a miraculous escape as a portion of their classroom wall collapsed. The students escaped unhurt as the wall fell in opposite direction. BDO Rabindra Sahu visited the spot and expressed his disappointment over the school authority and block level resource coordinator for allowing students to study inside the unsafe structure.
Meanwhile, the low pressure which had formed over the Bay of Bengal and later intensified into a depression has moved towards Chhattisgarh. The met officials have predicted heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the rivers that pass through northern parts of the State.