BALASORE: Plight of thousands of people in 28 gram panchayats remained critical as Bhograi, Baliapal and Jaleswar blocks of Balasore continued to be waterlogged notwithstanding a fall in the water level of Subarnarekha river on Wednesday.
This is the sixth time the district has been hit by floods, compounding the miseries of the people.
Over the past four days, floodwaters have wreaked havoc in more than 70 villages across the gram panchayats. At least 10,000 hectare of farmland is feared to have been waterlogged.
Though the Subarnarekha river was flowing at 9.19 metre on Wednesday evening, below the danger level of 10.36 metre, poor drainage of water from low-lying areas has prolonged woes of the villagers.
People complained of poor supply of relief materials and cooked meals. While evacuees staying in shelters are receiving cooked food and relief under the close watch of officials, those stranded in marooned villages continued to suffer due to inadequate supply of food, drinking water, and other essentials.
The flood-affected demanded special compensation packages, as frequent floods have destroyed properties and crops. Vast stretches of vegetable and paddy fields have remained submerged for days, causing extensive damage to the harvest. Roads are still under water, forcing villagers to rely on boats for movement.
Shrimp farmers in Bhograi and Baliapal also urged the government to extend support, as repeated flooding has severely affected aquaculture. They demanded that the government expedite the Subarnarekha Sanskar Yojana to ensure long-term flood control and rehabilitation.
Assistant collector-cum-district emergency officer Sai Krushna Jena informed that while the water level has been receding since Tuesday night, nearly 10,000 hectares of farmland remain waterlogged.
“The administration is distributing cooked food, dry rations and bottled water to affected families. An assessment of crop and property loss will be carried out once road connectivity improves,” he added.