JAJPUR: Even as the situation remains grim in the district, one person died after a wall of his house fell on him in Panasa panchayat under Jajpur block on Friday.
With two major rivers of the district flowing above the danger mark, all its 10 blocks are affected. While Brahmani and Kharashrota rivers are flowing above their respective danger mark, water in Baitarani has been receding since morning, informed Collector Ranjan Kumar Das.
Flood water from Brahmani river washed away a two-storey building in Sahapada area under Rasulpur block on the day. However, the occupants of the building had moved to safety.
Breaches in embankments of Baitarani, Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers were reported from 14 places. Over two lakh people of Jajpur, Binjharpur, Dasarathpur, Bari, Rasulpur, Korei, and Dharmasala blocks in the district are affected areas by the flood. Besides, as many as 84 villages under 45 panchayats in the seven blocks of the district are marooned for last two days.
Many villages of Bari, Rasulpur and Jajpur blocks of the district have been cut off-from the rest of the world.
“Due to the rise in water level in Baitarini river, Dasarathpur, Jajpur and Korei are affected. Three breaches occurred in Dasarathapur block, while nine breaches were reported from Bari and Rasulpur. This apart, two more breaches were reported from two different places in Binjharpur block,” said the Collector.
He said free kitchens have been opened for the affected people and relief is being provided in some places.
The Collector further said that the district administration has received information on another flood expected in the Mahanadi river system in the next two days.
“If that happens, Barachana block will be affected,” he said.
“We have evacuated around 3,000 people to safer places. Since it has not rained for the last 24 hours, we are waiting for the water to recede. The flood situation in the district is under control,” Das said.
Two teams, one each from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Odisha Fire Service have been deployed in rescue and relief operations in different places of the district.
Meanwhile, as many as six persons, including a newborn baby were rescued from a house submerged in flood water in Sankarakul village of Bari block.
Sources said the house was submerged in neck-deep water after flood water entered into the village. Trapped in the house, the family members managed to contact fire personnel in the morning.
After a two-hour-long operation, the fire personnel rescued all the six persons including a two-month old baby boy.