JAJPUR: The cyclone woes of Jajpur seem to be far from over as the overflowing Baitarani river and its tributary Kani have flooded three blocks of the district. Floodwater has inundated vast tracts of Dasarathapur, Jajpur and Korei blocks, leaving thousands of people stranded.
Officials said two embankments of Kani river breached near Kantipada and Palasahi villages in Dasarathapur block. Over 10,000 people of 27 villages under 10 panchayats of Dasarathapur have been affected by the flood. Two panchayats are completely submerged due to the twin breaches.
Similarly, floodwater from Baitarani river entered the low-lying areas of Panasa panchayat in Jajpur block and Mukundapur and Bandala of Korei. Around 1,500 people in both the blocks have been affected. Besides, thousand of acre of agriculture land in all the three blocks have been submerged.
The district administration has asked people residing in low-lying areas to shift to safer places. Since Thursday, some villages of Dasarathapur have been marooned due to the flood and people are unable to leave their homes due to knee-deep water flowing on the roads.
Meanwhile, water level of Baitarani which was at 19 metre, around 1.17 metre above the danger mark at Akhuapada, has started receding from Friday afternoon. But the river was still flowing above the warning level. On Friday 9 pm, official sources said, Baitarani was flowing at 18.08 metre at Akhuapada against the danger mark of 18.98 metre
On Thursday, Jajpur Collector Chakravarti Singh Rathore visited the twin breaches in Dasarathapur to take stock of the flood situation. He assured that the embankments will be repaired soon. He also visited flood-hit areas in Korei and Jajpur and inspected the relief and rescue operation.