Flood water entered villages in coastal districts of Odisha affecting 4.67 lakh people while lakhs of people were marooned by a vast sheet of water on August 17.
Low-lying areas of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Puri were hit by the floodwater flowing in Mahanadi River. Breaches occurred at weak river and canal embankments worsening the situation.
“The peak flood is currently passing through low-lying areas of Cuttack and Puri. By midnight the flood water would have passed. We are expecting the flood water to start receding early morning on Thursday. The Wednesday night is important for us. The situation is grim, but under control,” said Pradip Kumar Jena, Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha, on August 17 evening.
People supported by district administrations managed to prevent breaches on different embankments and stopped further submergence, said Mr. Jena.
“The flood has affected 4.67 lakh people which are likely to go up. About 2.5 lakh people have been marooned. We are providing cooked food to over 60,000 people who are in dire need of food,” he informed.
According to SRC, 425 villages have been encircled by floodwater. As many as 1757 villages in 64 blocks and 10 towns in 12 districts have been affected. The State government would assess crop and house damage after flood water would recede. There is no report of any casualty. Over 53,000 people have been evacuated to safer places.
Country boats carry food
Country boats have been deployed to carry cooked food to marooned people and drinking water pouches would be supplied for flood-affected people in Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Kendrapara districts.
Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department informed that a cyclonic circulation was lying over south Myanmar and its neighbourhood and was extending up to 5.8 km above mean sea level. Under its influence a Low Pressure Area is likely to form over North Bay of Bengal around August 19.
The SRC said district collectors had already been alerted about rainfall which would occur between August 18 and 22.
