Agencies
Bhubaneswar: The North Orissa districts are likely to escape a major flood this time as the water level Wednesday went down in almost all rivers. IMD in its warning, however, said that heavy rainfall is likely in one or two places in north Odisha during the next 48 hours.
Special relief commissioner B P Sethi said: “We are hopeful because there is no major threat now as the water levels at most of the north Orissa rivers have started receding since last night. The water levels in them are either steady or falling at all places except at Jamsolaghat on Subernarekha river.
He told reporters that water levels of rivers Baitarani, Brahmani, Burhabalang and Jalaka have been falling or were steady due to less rainfall in the upper catchment areas of the rivers. He said that some bridges have been washed away due to incessant rainfall in Keonjhar district.
Sources in SRC’s office said though the flood water submebered a large paddy field at Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar block in Bhadrak district, Harichandanpur and Hatadihi blocks in Keonjhar district, the villages were unaffected. Some 40 odd villages, however, remained marooned as the roads and bridges leading to them have been washed away due to incessant rainfall.
Sethi said that the district administrations of Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Jajpur were on alert in view of the IMD’s forecast of heavy rainfall in certain places of the region.
Meanwhile, a report from Balasore said that the flood situation in the district has been improving. Subarnarekha river, which rose yesterday and was still above the danger level at Rajghat near Jaleswar, has been going down gradually Wednesday.
The water level was at 11.15 meters against its danger level of 10.36 metre at 11 pm Tuesday night, while at 6 am today it was at 11.05 metre.
Vast areas of paddy land in the low lying areas of Basta, Baliapal, Jaleswar and Bhograi blocks have been submerged by flood waters.
At least eight gram panchayats in Baliapal block, 21 panchayats in Bhograi block, 18 panchayats in Jaleswar block and 10 villages in Basta block have been affected by floods. One team of ODRAF has been sent to Baliapal.