- Continuous heavy rain causes severe flooding in 20 Odisha districts.
- Lakhs affected, infrastructure damaged; 3 deaths reported so far.
- IMD warns of more rain, situation likely to worsen in Odisha.
Jagran Correspondent, Bhubaneswar: The continuous rainfall in Odisha has led to floods in the lower regions of 20 districts, severely disrupting the lifestyle. As per the reports, the water level in the Mahanadi River and its major tributary, Kathjodi, has steadily increased in the past few days. The experts have warned that floodwaters in Mundli and Naraj may soon exceed the danger mark, causing massive damage to the infrastructure.
These Districts Affected
As per the SRC office, the floods and heavy rains have affected several districts, including Angul, Balangir, Balasore, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Boudh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Kendrapada, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sonepur, and Sundargarh.
The reports suggest that the heavy rains have affected 1,458 villages in 539 gram panchayats and 176 wards in 14 urban areas in 100 blocks of these districts. As per the advisory, these regions are likely to witness more rain in the coming days, worsening the situation.
As per the data provided by the Odisha government, three people have died so far in the state due to the rains and flooding. While one individual died by drowning in Keonjhar, two others died in wall collapses in Dhenkanal and Rayagada districts.
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The authorities stated that Bhadrak is the worst-affected district, while Jajpur and Balasore have also been affected by the floods. The administration assured that all the necessary steps are being taken to control the situation, further advising the residents to follow the guidelines and limit their outings.
The Odisha government stated that over 4 lakh people have been affected in the Bhadrak district due to the floods, adding that over one lakh people have been evacuated so far. In the Jajpur district, 137,010 people have been affected, and 35,572 have been evacuated, the authorities informed.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the situation is likely to worsen in some districts due to the continuous rain in the coming days.