BERHAMPUR/BHAWANIPATNA/NUAPADA : The rapidly rising Mahanadi river following four days of incessant rainfall has inundated several low-lying villages and snapped road connectivity in Boudh district, prompting the administration to launch evacuation and relief measures amid fears of a major flood.
The Mahanadi began to swell on Tuesday night and since then, floodwaters have spread across several parts of Harabhanga tehsil, leaving more than 10 villages marooned and hundreds of residents stranded.
The worst-hit villages include Marada, Atalsara, Tirada, Kodasinga, Panighara, Khandidhalpur, Karadi, Hatagaon and Jharasahi, where floodwaters have entered habitations and cut off access routes. Residents in these villages have been isolated as roads and connecting routes remain submerged. Sources said floodwater was flowing over several stretches of Harabhanga-Dhalpur and Dhalpur-Karadi roads.
With water level continuing to rise, the district administration has stepped up preparedness measures. Boudh collector Bibhuti Bhusan Nayak, SP Kuldeep Meena, ADM Aniruddha Pradhan and Harabhanga tehsildar Karna Suna have been visiting the affected areas and closely monitoring the situation.
Officials have initiated the process of shifting residents from marooned villages to designated flood shelters. Emergency response teams have been deployed, while local officials have been instructed to remain on round-the-clock duty. In Kalahandi, floodwaters of Tel and Udanti rivers have affected Kesinga and Golamunda, inundating several villages in the two blocks.
The worst-affected areas in Kesinga were Belkhandi, Hatikhoj and Sirjapali panchayats where floodwater from Tel river submerged roads and vast tracts of paddy field. The railway under bridge in Kesinga was under five feet of water due to which traffic movement on NH-26 has been disrupted. Parts of Kesinga town were also waterlogged.
On Thursday, Kalahandi collector Sachin Pawar along with a team of fire services personnel reached the affected areas on boat and rescued 15 people stranded in Belkhandi temple. The rescued people included the temple priests and devotees.
Similarly, floodwater entered Makraguda village under Later panchayat in Golamunda block after Udanti river breached its banks following heavy rains.
In Nuapada, eight persons stranded on the rooftop of a poultry farm due to rising floodwaters near Birighat village in Khariar block were rescued safely by an ODRAF team. The villagers had taken shelter on the rooftop after floodwaters inundated the surrounding area, leaving them marooned.
Official sources said incessant rainfall has triggered flood-like situation in parts of the district, prompting the administration to shift 385 people to six relief shelters.
Nuapada collector Madhusudan Dash said as of 8.30 am on Thursday, 13 villages, nine panchayats and Nuapada NAC had been affected by heavy rain. Around 61 kutcha houses suffered partial damage in the rains. The administration was maintaining constant vigil and had put in place coordinated measures to deal with any emergency.
