BALASORE/BARIPADA: Residents of low-lying areas in Basta, Baliapal, Bhograi and Jaleswar blocks of Balasore district and Neda in Sarashkana area of Mayurbhanj are living in fear as the water level in Subarnarekha continues to rise due to incessant rains in the river’s upper catchment areas in Jharkhand over the past 72 hours.
Sources said heavy rainfall at various places including Fekaghat, Ghatshila, Jamshedpur and Jamsholaghat in Jharkhand led to increased inflow of water into Galudihi barrage in the neighbouring state. In view of the rising water level, the Jharkhand administration opened eight gates of the barrage on Thursday. As a result, around 2.70 lakh cusec of water was released into Subarnarekha river.
With Subarnarekha swelling, fear of flood gripped residents residing in downstream areas of the river, particularly the four blocks in Balasore and Neda village in Mayurbhanj’s Sarashkana. District emergency officer of Balasore Saikrushna Jena said at 9 am on Friday, Subarnarekha river was flowing at 10.36 meter at Rajghat against the danger level of 9.45 meter. The district administration is prepared to handle any flood-like situation in the low-lying areas.
Emergency officer of Mayurbhanj Sradha Suman said the district received 28.51 mm rainfall on Wednesday, 85.35 mm on Thursday and 22.44 mm on Friday. There is no flood-like situation in Mayurbhanj.
Sources said on the day, a resident of the bordering Mahuldangiri village in Jharkhand near Neda was swept away in Subarnarekha river on the day. Fire services personnel from Odisha side were reportedly roped in to assist in rescue operation.