Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday began an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in the southern part of the state as heavy rain and swollen rivers disrupted life across 13 districts.
Majhi is surveying Ganjam, Koraput and Nabarangpur, some of the worst-affected areas, along with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil. The aerial survey was delayed by around two hours because of a technical problem with the helicopter.
By Saturday, more than 70,000 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas and shifted to 395 relief camps as several villages were inundated.
The flooding followed heavy rainfall associated with a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal. The affected districts include Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Keonjhar, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Bolangir and Jagatsinghpur.
Balasore has been among the worst-hit districts, with several rivers flowing above danger levels. The Subarnarekha River was recorded at 11.68 metres at Rajghat in Jaleswar at 6 am, significantly above its danger level of 10.36 metres. The situation has led to flooding in villages across Bhograi, Jaleswar, Baliapal and Basta blocks.
The Budhabalang River was also flowing above the danger mark, while the Kansabansa, Soa and Gangahar rivers remained swollen.
Meanwhile, the Hirakud Dam opened two additional sluice gates on Sunday to release more water entering the reservoir. A total of 22 gates are now being used for discharge. The reservoir water level stood at 628.29 feet, compared with its full reservoir level of 630 feet.
Majhi is scheduled to land at Jeypore in Koraput and hold a review meeting with senior officials. He will also visit rain-affected areas of Nabarangpur later in the day to assess the situation.
In Mayurbhanj, authorities temporarily closed the Devkund tourist destination inside Similipal National Park after several streams and water channels swelled due to the heavy rainfall.
The state administration is continuing evacuation and relief operations in affected areas while monitoring river levels and the inflow into major reservoirs.
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