Balasore: The flood situation in Odisha remains critical, particularly in Balasore district, where the Subarnarekha river is flowing above danger mark of 10.36 meters, currently at 10.80 meters at Rajghat even though the water level is showing a receding trend.
In Balasore, thousands of hectares of agricultural land are flooded, affecting Baliapal, Jaleshwar, and Bhograi blocks. Floodwaters have entered villages and disrupted transportation and public communication. The Water Resources Department is repairing the river embankment on a war-footing.
On the other hand, the Jalaka River is flowing below danger mark but above the warning level.
Over 2,000 people along the Subarnarekha River basin have been sheltered in flood relief centres. The administration is providing dry and cooked food to those in need.
As many as 22 blocks in Balasore are affected, with 4 relief centres set up and 334 houses damaged. Keonjhar reports five affected blocks, and Sundergarh has one block hit by the deluge, the office of the SRC said.
To combat the situation, 21 response teams (NDRF, ODRAF, and others) are deployed in Balasore while 15 teams are dispatched to Mayurbhanj and one is sent to Bhadrak.