BHUBANESWAR: At least nine teams of the NDRF, 45 ODRAF and 24 fire services teams have been mobilised in Ganjam district for rescue, relief and restoration operations.
NDRF personnel engaged in rescue operations described the force of the flash floods as devastating. “Water flowing down from the hills worsened the situation. Rescuers faced immense challenges in evacuating people from the affected areas amid the strong currents,” said Dhananjay Kumar, second-in-command of the NDRF’s 3rd Battalion.
In Aska, the municipality office, fire station, sub-collector’s office, police station and several other government establishments were inundated by flash floods. This hampered the movement of government officials and coordination with rescue teams, the official added.
Rescue personnel said strong water currents and power outages severely affected operations, particularly at night. To address the situation, Odisha Fire and Emergency Service dispatched around 25 portable inflatable emergency lights to Ganjam to facilitate rescue work.
“Several urban areas in Ganjam, including Bhanjanagar, Aska and Dharakote, were flooded. Given the district’s large population, swiftly evacuating thousands of flood-affected people was a major challenge,” said a senior official.
He further said the water level was expected to recede from Saturday, following which the focus would shift to distribution of relief materials.
Director General of Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi visited Ganjam during the day to review rescue and relief operations. “The water level is expected to recede from Saturday, which will enable the authorities to expedite relief operations,” Sarangi said.
