Odisha floods: Villages evacuated as Subarnarekha river rises above danger mark

Odisha evacuated residents from flood-hit areas in Balasore and Mayurbhanj as the Subarnarekha river rose above danger levels. Heavy rainfall and dam discharges from Jharkhand worsened the situation. Relief efforts are underway, with more rain expected until July 5

Bhubaneswar/Balasore/Baripada: The Odisha government on Monday evacuated people from low-lying areas in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts as waters of river Subarnarekha and Budhabalang started entering villages, officials said.

The state government had earlier sounded a red alert for both districts as water levels in rivers like Subarnarekha, Budhabalang, Jalaka, and Sono continue to rise.

---

Odisha Revenue and Disaster Manager minister Suresh Pujari said people in both districts have been evacuated and housed in shelters where they are being provided with cooked and dry food. Personnel of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Service are engaged in rescue and relief operations, the minister said.

Keeping in view the flood situation, all schools and Anganwadi centres in Mayurbhanj district remained closed on Monday.

According to official sources, the Subarnarekha river reached a water level of 11.28 metre at Rajghat at 9 PM on Monday — well above the danger mark of 10.36 metre.

A total of seven blocks of Balasore and 17 blocks of Mayurbhanj have been affected by the recent floods due to heavy rains in the region and discharge of water from Chandil Dam and Galudihi Barrage in neighbouring Jharkhand.

“North Odisha often gets flooded due to discharge of water by Jharkhand. The neighbouring state does such because of the non-completion of the Chandil dam. We are discussing with them what could be done and how to complete the Chandil dam so that the water could be regulated,” the Revenue and Disaster Management minister said.

“Floodwaters have inundated parts of Balasore and Mayurbhanj. District administrations have started evacuating people from low-lying and flood-prone areas. Rescue and relief operations are underway. The situation is under control,” Pujari said after reviewing the flood situation.

The minister said field staff are monitoring vulnerable points of river embankments and have been equipped with flood-fighting materials in both Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.

The chief engineer of the Water Resources department is in constant touch with the district collectors of Balasore and Mayurbhanj, he said, adding that some breaches in riverbanks have been identified and are being repaired using sandbags and other materials.

Meanwhile, the IMD has forecast more rain across the state till July 5.

“Heavy rains are likely in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts in north Odisha and Sundergarh and Jharsuguda in the southern region of the state,” the weather office said.

An official in Mayurbhanj district said that a major landslide near Mahurabhandar in Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary following heavy rain has disrupted road connectivity in the area. The Jashipur-Gudgudia road has been blocked following the landslide, snapping connectivity with three-gram panchayats near the sanctuary, he said.