Odisha flood situation eases as water level falls in rivers

The Subarnarekha, which inundated the densely populated Baliapal, Bhograi and Jaleswar blocks of Balasore and affected around 2.1 lakh people, was flowing below the danger level.

Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in six districts of Odisha eased on Friday, August 21, as water levels in all major rivers, including Subarnarekha in worst-hit Balasore district, remained below the danger mark amid no significant rainfall in the last 48 hours, officials said.

The Subarnarekha, which inundated the densely populated Baliapal, Bhograi and Jaleswar blocks of Balasore and affected around 2.1 lakh people, was flowing below the danger level, they said.

“The water level is receding at Rajghat. It was recorded at 9.75 metres against the danger level of 10.36 metres. The peak flood was witnessed in the Subarnarekha on August 20 when the water level reached 11.82 metres,” an official at the district emergency office said.

According to officials, around one lakh people were affected in Baliapal block, while the Subarnarekha floods impacted around 70,000 people in Bhograi and another 40,000 in Jaleswar.

The water levels in two other major rivers, Jalaka and Budhabalanga, which caused severe flooding in Balasore Sadar, Basta and Remuna blocks, were also below the danger mark, ruling out the possibility of further flooding in the areas, officials said.

The district administration has intensified relief and rescue operations as around 100 villages remained marooned in Balasore district.

The second spell of floods since August 14 has affected more than 13 lakh people in six districts, while around five lakh people have been evacuated as a large number of villages were inundated, officials said.

According to the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), the flood situation in the five other affected districts – Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar – remained stable due to the absence of significant rainfall in the last 48 hours.

However, the water level in the Baitarani river was on a rising trend, posing a threat to parts of Kendrapara and Jajpur districts, officials said.

The district administrations were engaged in relief operations in these five districts, an official said, adding that in view of the flood situation and severe waterlogging, local authorities in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts have ordered closure of educational institutions on Friday as a precautionary measure.

The Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said the state recorded an average rainfall of 2.1 mm in the 24 hours till 8.30 am on Friday, against the normal rainfall of 10.4 mm for August 21.

The highest rainfall of 35 mm was recorded in Nayagarh, it said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast another wet spell for six days in the coastal and northern regions of the state from Friday.