JAGATSINGHPUR: A 64-year-old woman was reportedly swept away in Mahanadi near Tarapur village in Raghunathpur block as the swelling river posed a serious flood threat to the district. The woman, Harapriya Nayak, was taking bath at Narayani Ghat in Mahanadi in the morning when she was swept away by strong currents.
Hearing her screams, villagers rushed to the spot and tried to rescue her but failed. Raghunathpur police and local fire services personnel have been engaged in rescue operations but till reports last came in, the woman was yet to be traced. Many villages in Tirtol, Kujang and Raghunathpur blocks faced floods due to the swelling Mahanadi.
Haripur in Kujang was cut off from the rest of the district as the road leading to the village was washed away in the floods. As many as 75 families have been marooned as the floodwater is yet to recede from the village. Similarly, 50 families of Gopiakuda in Tirtol were stranded due to water-logging in the village. As many as 15 families in Tirtol Lockgada have also been marooned due to floods.
Besides, paddy and vegetable crops over vast tracts of farmland have been submerged due to flood. Hundreds of hectares of paddy crops in Kolar, Poragdeipur and Gopalpur panchayats in Tirtol have been inundated. At least 50 villages under the three panchayats are water-logged as Dhanua drainage channel is unable to drain the floodwater. Paddy and vegetable crops in Zillanasi, Jayasankhapur, Tentulia and Saharadia villages in Kujang have also been flooded.
Communication has been hit in the district as several important roads in Tirtol and Kujang blocks are under water. Sources said water is flowing four feet over the road from Tirtol to Manijanga. The one km road from Khosalpur of Hansura panchayat to Gobardhanpur of Kathkota in Kujang block has been submerged due to which vehicular movement remained paralysed.
Official sources said as many as 340 persons from Haripur and nearby villages in Tirtol have been evacuated after floodwater entered the area. These people are staying at MS Academy building and being provided with cooked and dry food.
On the day, Water Resources Minister Raghunandan Das and Jagatsinghpur Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra visited Dhanua drainage channel and instructed the officials concerned to clear the blockage. The Collector also visited Mahanadi river embankment at Tirtol Baulanga and inspected the sand bag packing at vulnerable places.
Villages marooned in Puri
Puri: As many as five panchayats in Puri Sadar and Delang and 10 of Kanas block were marooned due to flood on Saturday. While flood water of Bhargabi river flooded Uttarkana, Sasan Damodarpur and Gopinathpur panchayats, Daya river has flooded Ghoradia panchayat of Delang block. The road between Puri and Jatani too was submerged on the day. Collector Balwant Singh visited the affected areas and said 24 hour control rooms have been made operational in all 11 blocks of the district. This apart, NDRF, ODRAF and fire services personnel have been kept on alert.
Youth holds on to bush, rescued
Jajpur: A youth, who held on to a bush for several hours, was rescued by fire fighters after being swept away in floodwater on his way home. The 18-year-old youth of Keshabpur under Rasulpur block in the district was swept away in the floodwater of Brahmani river but had managed to cling to a bush to save his life. Hearing his screams, a few locals immediately informed Kuakhia fire personnel who reached the spot and rescued the youth from Khandas area after a two-hour long search operation on Friday night.