JAJPUR:A 60-foot breach in embankment of river Brahmani at Bankasahi under Kimbhiriapal panchayat inundated 17 villages under five panchayats of Bari block in Jajpur district on Saturday. At least 8,000 people in these villages have been affected due to the breach that occurred in the afternoon.
According to official reports, the swelling Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers have marooned as many as 26 villages in Bari, Danagadi, Rasulpur and Binjharpur blocks of the district with water flowing above the danger mark. Three villages in Rasulpur block are surrounded by flood water from Brahmani and vegetables crops in hundreds of acres have been damaged.
Similarly, six villages in Kimbhiriapal and Khapuriapada gram panchayats of Danagadi block have been marooned by the flood water of Kharasrota. The rivers have disrupted road communication to many places in the district. The Bari-Kalamatia road, which connects to Bari block, is under five feet water with Brahmani flowing above the red mark here. As a result, communication to many villages has been cut off.
Similarly, villages in Danagadi and Rasulpur blocks have been cut off from the outer world with flood water from Kharasrota entering these areas. Kharasrota is also swelling at Binjharpur creating flood-like situation at Bari and Binjharpur blocks. At Jenapur, Brahmani was flowing at 68.2 ft against the red mark of 63 ft.
Following the breach, two ODRAF teams have been deployed at Bankasahi for rescue operation. Hundreds of people have already been evacuated from the village.
Bari Block BDO Maheswar Sethy said efforts are on to evacuate all the villagers affected by the breach. Sukinda legislator Pritiranjan Ghadei also visited the flood-affected areas of Danagadi block.