Odisha Foods: 100 Villages Remain Submerged For 5th Day As Rain Fury Continues

Odisha Floods: The Monsoon fury continued to wreak havoc in Odisha as around 100 villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur districts were under floodwater for the fifth consecutive day on Friday. However, the water level of major rivers of north Odisha was receding to below the danger level, yet dozens of villages remain submerged.

Officials said around 30,000 people in the villages have been affected by floodwater. 80 villages under Baliapal and Bhograi blocks in Balasore were inundated with floodwater of around 4 feet high, while 14 other villages under Dasrathpur block in Jajpur district were flooded. Some pockets in the Dhamnagar block of Bhadrak district were also underwater.

Flood-Affected People Share Their Ordeal

Rabinda Samal, a flood-affected man from Dasrathpur block, said, "Though the water level in the Baitarani River has receded, flood waters have remained stagnant in our villages for the past five days. As a result, it damaged my house, destroyed household articles, stored grain and fodder for the livestock."

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"I returned home from the relief centre, wading through waist-deep water as the roads are still submerged under water. I found my house in bad condition. Presently, I neither have a house to live in nor any food to eat. Although we are being provided a little quantity of rice as relief by the administration, how can we prepare the food as our houses and 'chula' (oven) are still under water," he added.

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Sabita Swain, a young woman from the same block, rejected the government's claim that the flood situation is improving. She asked how the government can say the situation is improved, while people are still obliged to live in the relief camps.

"The government claims that the flood situation has improved after the water level receded in the rivers. But the fact remains that water has now accumulated in our villages after being drained from the river. How could the flood situation improve till the people are in a relief camp and unable to light their 'chula'," asked Sabita.

She said that drinking water is a major problem as all sources of water have been contaminated due to the flood. Swain said the Dasrathpur area was suddenly inundated due to a breach on the embankment of Kani river, a tributary of Baitarani river. "We could not find time to collect our essentials and ran away from the village, seeing the flood fury," she said.

According to official reports, over 8,000 people of at least 14 villages of Kasapa and Malikapur gram panchayats of the Dasrathour block are still marooned by the flood after flood water gushed into their villages due to a 100 feet breach at Kani river embankment.

Over 5,000 people were evacuated and sheltered in nearby school buildings since Saturday. As their houses have been badly damaged, household articles, food grains and livestock have been badly affected, the flood victims have been struggling to salvage their belongings.

(With PTI inputs)