Two washed away in flood water

Two persons died as they were swept away by the flood water in Badasahi and Shyamakhunta blocks, while four others of Rasgobindpur and Morada areas sustained severe injuries as walls collapsed on them while they were sleeping.

Two persons died as they were swept away by the flood water in Badasahi and Shyamakhunta blocks, while four others of Rasgobindpur and Morada areas sustained severe injuries as walls collapsed on them while they were sleeping. The deceased have been identified as Laxmikanta Mohanty (23) of Salagaon and Chhutu Mahanta (45) of Paikabasa village. They were swept away while crossing two water bodies.

Flood situation in parts of Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts has turned grim with Subanarekha, Budhabalanga, Jambhira, Gangahar and Jalaka rivers remaining in spate for consecutive second day on Thursday.

Over two lakh people of around 300 villages in both the districts including 236 villages in Balasore have been affected. While Bhogarai, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal and Sadar blocks in Balasore are the worst hit, parts of Badasahi, Betnoti, Rasgobindpur and Morada blocks in Mayurbhanj have been affected.

Though Balasore administration has evacuated nearly 1,000 people from 10 marooned villages in Sadar block, people in other blocks continue to remain cut off from the mainland as flood water submerged the connecting roads.

People in the cut-off areas alleged that they had not received any relief from the administration, which had claimed to have stocked food materials at panchayat godowns. 

“Balasore has been the worst hit with over 1.5 lakh people in 236 villages affected due to flood in Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha and Jalaka rivers. We have opened free kitchens,” said a revenue officer.

Vehicular communication to northern parts of Balasore were affected as flood water was flowing over Gandhi Chhack-Baliapal road. Flood water has breached embankment of rivers at several places.

Flood hit villagers in Sindhia panchayat alleged that they had not received food even though they were marooned for the last two days. “We are cut off from the mainland since Tuesday night. Neither any official has visited us nor any relief material provided to us. We are virtually starving,” they alleged.

While Subarnarekha and Jalaka rivers are flowing above the danger level, the water in Budhabalanga is receding. Subarnarekha was flowing at 11.93 metre mark against the red mark of 10.36 metre whereas the water level in Jalaka was at 6.21 metre.

Water in Subarnarekha is expected to increase more as Jharkhand has started releasing water from its reservoirs. 

Collector Parameswaran B said four teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force had been deployed in Baliapal, Jaleswar and Bhogarai areas.

Reports from Mayurbhanj stated that the flood water in Budhabalanga has started receding and about 1200 people who were evacuated have been given shelter in schools and temporary tents on the road.

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