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.
