BALASORE/BARIPADA: The swelling Jalaka river has engulfed 76 villages under 15 gram panchayat in Balasore’s Basta block affecting more than 48,000 people. The river was flowing at 6.55 metre against the danger mark of 5.50 metre at 5 pm on Thursday.
District emergency officer Rizwana Kawkab said the flood situation in Basta was grim as water level in Jalaka is rising. The administration has evacuated 2,904 people from the affected villages and shifted them to safer places. Three ODRAF and six fire services teams have been engaged in rescue operations which are being carried out through 12 boats.
Besides, the evacuated people have been accommodated in 17 shelter houses and provided dry ration along with cooked food and safe drinking water. Four medical teams are deployed to take care of the health needs of the people. Anganwadi workers have been instructed to provide medicines to prevent water-borne diseases in the affected areas.
As vast tracts of farmlands have been submerged in the floods, Balasore Collector K Sudarshan Chakraborty directed agriculture officials to submit crop damage report. The irrigation division has been asked to submit a detailed report on breaches in embankments due to the flood.
Superintending engineer of Balasore irrigation division Pravash Pradhan informed that breaches in embankments were mostly reported from Rashgobindpur block of Mayurbhanj district. An embankment breach in Basta block was repaired by packing sand bags.
Similarly in Mayurbhanj, over 4,211 people of 14 villages under five GPs in Rashgobindpur were surrounded by water after Jambhirai river overflowed and breached four embankments. Two ODRAF teams and fire services personnel have evacuated 2,930 people to nine shelter houses. The evacuees are being provided dry and cooked food.
Chief district agriculture officer Rabindra Khatua said paddy and other crops over around 800 hectare of farmland have been submerged. In September, Mayurbhanj has received 358.32 mm rainfall against the normal 262 mm.