Heavy rainfall in western and southern Odisha has led to floods in six more blocks, bringing the total number of affected blocks to 21 across six districts. The five blocks in Kalahandi district (Thuamul Rampur, Jayapatana, Kalampur, Koksara, and Junagada) and one block in Koraput district (Kotpad) have been severely affected, with several villages remaining marooned by the deluge.
According to Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, the state has not witnessed such severe floods in nearly 40-50 years. Almost all major rivers are in a spate, causing floods in northern, southern, coastal, and western regions of Odisha. The situation has started improving in northern and coastal areas as the rainfall intensity has decreased.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced a Rs 1,000 crore package for flood-affected people. Water Resources Department engineer-in-chief Dilip Rout stated that the Baitarani River has caused floods in the maximum expanse of area, with several riverside villages in Bari and Binjharpur areas in Jajpur and Aul in Kendrapara district being the worst affected. Other rivers such as Subarnarekha, Brahmani, and Salandi are also in a spate.
The state government has deployed 15 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and 44 teams from the Fire and Emergency Services in the affected areas. A total of Rs 170.30 crore has been released from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the management of relief camps and other emergency response activities.
In the last 24 hours, the state recorded an average rainfall of 32.9 mm, with cumulative rainfall from August 1 to August 24 standing at 327.0 mm, which is 18.6 per cent above the normal rainfall of 275.6 mm. The state government has asked the administrations of flood-affected districts to maintain a close vigil on possible localized water-logging and other potential hazards.
