Lakhs of people affected in Odisha flood

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Aug 4: Lakhs of people living in the flood prone areas across Odisha continued to lead a difficult life due to heavy rains for the third day as flood threat loomed large over as many as 12 districts of the State on Monday.Even as the authorities at the district level struggled to provide boats and relief materials to the marooned villagers, many areas remained cut due to heavy rains and flooding of the rivers in the districts of Nayagarh, Cuttack, Khurda, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and several other districts.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the flood situation at the State Secretariat and the District Collectors to remain alert in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Boudh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack and Nayagarh.Patnaik emphasized the need for evacuating people from areas experiencing floods and arrangement to supply cooked food as relief to the flood-hit population.The Chief Minister also asked the district administrations to keep a constant watch on river embankments that were vulnerable to breaches.It was revealed at the high level meeting that heavy rains were likely to occur in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Balasore due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal.This many worsen flood situation in many areas in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Baitarani, Brahmani, Mahanadi, Vansadhara, Tel and many other rivers were in spate by Monday night.Incessant rain in Western Odisha had also caused in many areas in Kalahandi, Bargarh, Sambalpur and Boudh.Mahanadi was flowing over the danger level at Mundali nearer to Cuttack and about 10 lakh cusecs of water was to flow there by Tuesday.The level of water in Mahanadi was likely to rise further on Tuesday since as many as 17 gates were opened at Hirakud reservoir upstream in Western region of the State.