# 18 Odisha districts flooded, 5.93 lakh hit as multi-dept response scales up 2026-09-18T05:51:44+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Floods have hit 18 districts of Odisha, affecting 95 blocks, 472 gram panchayats and 1,301 villages, according to a state government status report. A total of 5,93,083 people have been affected, of whom 1,76,518 have been evacuated to safer places. Multiple departments, Revenue and Disaster Management, Water Resources, Health, Energy and Works, have stepped up rescue and relief operations, restoration of road connectivity and power supply. The Water Resources Department said field engineers are watching embankments and river systems round the clock. The Chief Engineer of the Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani Basin System visited an overflow section of the Kharsuan river in Aali Block, where sandbags were used to close the breach. Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said the government will prepare a 'Strong Drainage Master Plan' for all urban local bodies to address recurring waterlogging. A 24-hour departmental control room is coordinating the response. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Odisha's coastal and delta districts flood almost every monsoon, but the 2024 spell hit unusually early and spread to 18 districts, nearly half the state. The government is now visibly coordinating five departments, a scale-up that suggests the situation is worse than routine seasonal flooding. The Special Relief Commissioner, ODRAF and district administrations are the frontline responders, but the real pressure point will be the Mahanadi delta, where multiple river systems converge. Water Resources engineers are sandbagging breaches, which works only for small overflows, a major embankment breach would change the picture entirely. The next milestone is the progress of drainage in the urban local bodies, where the minister has promised a master plan but not a deadline. Watch the daily evacuation and block-level damage figures from the SRC to gauge whether the situation is stabilising or worsening. ## Coverage - thehansindia.com Tags: Mahanadi, Odisha floods, Special Relief Commissioner Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/18-odisha-districts-flooded-5-93-lakh-hit-as-multi-dept-response-scales-up/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/18-odisha-districts-flooded-5-93-lakh-hit-as-multi-dept-response-scales-up/#story-in-brief