Now Reading: Odisha floods: 4 districts hit, 3,000 evacuated as rivers overflow
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Odisha floods: 4 districts hit, 3,000 evacuated as rivers overflow
Heavy rain for two days has swollen rivers in Odisha, flooding four districts and affecting 45 panchayats, the Special Relief Commissioner said on Friday. Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj are the worst…
The Story in Brief
Heavy rain for two days has swollen rivers in Odisha, flooding four districts and affecting 45 panchayats, the Special Relief Commissioner said on Friday. Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj are the worst hit. The Baitarani river is above the danger mark at Anandapur, while the Budhabalanga has entered Baripada town. About 3,000 people have been evacuated from areas near the Subarnarekha river. Ten ODRAF and seven NDRF teams are deployed. In Jajpur, fire services rescued two men trapped for five hours after water entered their pump house and electricity station near Siddheshwar.
The Jalka river at Mathani in Balasore flowed at 7.84 metres against the danger level of 6.50 metres. Floodwater from the Budhabalanga entered low-lying areas in Mayurbhanj, disrupting traffic on the Baripada-Amarda road. In Keonjhar, water from the Suna river has waterlogged parts of Joda municipality. The administration has shifted people to shelters and advised riverbank residents to stay alert as more rain is forecast.
The Indian Opinion
Flood warnings in Odisha often draw panic, but the administration has shown quick deployment of ODRAF and NDRF teams. Yet repeated breaches in embankments, like the Anandapur ring embankment still under repair, raise questions about maintenance between monsoons. The real test will be whether the Subarnarekha river, expected to rise by Friday evening, forces a wider evacuation. How many of the 45 affected panchayats have underground drainage and relief stock? Numbers, not alarms, will tell if Odisha has learnt from past floods.
Sources (3): odishatv.in, odishatv.in (2), odishatv.in (3)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
