Bhubaneswar/Baleshwar: The flood situation in Odisha improved Friday, with the water level in all major rivers receding, though nearly 2 lakh people in 303 villages are still affected in two districts of the state, officials said.
As many as 1,90,974 people of 241 villages in Baleshwar district and 7,745 people in 62 villages in Jajpur district are still affected by the deluge, a revenue department official said.
The state government is also carrying out relief and rescue operations in other districts — Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, Kendrapada and Bhadrak.
Certain roads connecting to the villages in Bhograi, Baliapal and Jaleswar blocks of Baleshwar were still cut off, and flood water was flowing over them.
The relief materials were being transported to affected people through boats, officials said, adding that 28 teams comprising ODRAF, NDRF and Fire Service personnel were deployed in the affected areas to undertake relief and rescue operations.
Officials said that 111 relief camps were operating in Balasore district, and 22 in Jajpur district. As many as 16,582 people were evacuated to safety and housed in relief camps in Baleshwar district, the Special Relief Commissioner’s office said.
“There is no flood in any of the major rivers across the state,” Water Resources Department engineer-in-chief Dilip Kumar Rout said.
A report from the Water Resources Department stated that the Subarnarekha which created havoc in Baleshwar district, affecting around 2 lakh people, was flowing below its danger mark of 10,36 metre at Rajghat and further falling.
The water will recede from all the waterlogged areas in a day or two due to the absence of rain for two days, Rout said.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its evening bulletin, said that there was no rain warning for any part of Odisha till September 8, though there is a possibility of light to moderate rain or thunderstorm at one or two places.
The state government has asked administrations of the flood-hit districts to expedite relief and rescue operations and focus on restoration activities as soon as the water recedes from villages.
“We have asked the revenue and agriculture department to start joint assessment of damages in flood-affected villages as the water level recedes now,” said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari.
PTI