20 Odisha villages marooned

Collectors of northern districts put on alert

August 01, 2015 12:00 am | Updated March 29, 2016 12:30 pm IST - Bhubaneswar:

Villagers trying to repair a breach at the bank of flooded Baitarani River in Jajpur on Thursday.- Photo: PTI

Villagers trying to repair a breach at the bank of flooded Baitarani River in Jajpur on Thursday.- Photo: PTI

At least 20 villages in Odisha’s Balasore and Jajpur districts have been marooned for the past three days despite an overall improvement in the State’s flood situation even as the government has ordered caution in view of possible heavy rainfall due to cyclone Komen.

“The Collectors of northern districts have been kept on alert to meet the situation in the event of heavy rainfall under the influence of cyclone Komen. However, no adverse weather or rainfall under its influence has been noticed anywhere in the State till evening,” said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), G.V.V. Sarma.

While 10 villages under Jaleswar block were marooned in Balasore district, an equal number of them are under water in Jajpur district.

The villages in Jajpur block were under Korei Block - 4, Jajpur Block - 2 and Dasarathpur Block - 4, he said.

As per reports received from the Collectors of the northern districts, about 4.79 lakh people in 593 villages under 15 blocks and one urban local body in each of the five districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore have been affected by the current floods in the State, he said.

While three persons have died in the floods, one person is missing, the SRC said, adding that most of the people who had to be evacuated due to the floods have returned to their homes except for 55 people at one relief camp in the Bhogarai block of Balasore district.

“Steps have been taken on a war-footing by water resources department to close four breaches in river embankments. Breaches have occurred on the right embankment of Baitarani river near Ganeswarpur village in Jajpur district, on the left embankment of the same river near Khaljori in Chandabali block of Bhadrak district, on Subarnarekha left embankment near Dahamunda in Balasore district and on the left embankment of Kani river near Panchupada in Jajpur district,” he said.

However, all rivers in the State are flowing much below the danger level, said sources in the SRC’s office.

‘Komen’ weakens

Cyclonic storm ‘Komen’ over Bangladesh weakened into a deep depression on Friday even as the MeT department forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall coupled with squally surface wind in several places in Odisha.

After weakening into deep depression, the system moved West, North-westwards and lay centred over Bangladesh, about 360 km North-east of Balasore. It would further move West, North-westwards and weaken into a depression in the next 24 hours, it said.

Under its impact, rain and thundershower would occur in most places in Odisha. Heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places with isolated extremely heavy rainfall would occur in Northern part of the State and heavy rainfall at one or two places in southern part in the next 24 hours.

The Danger Signal Number Five (D-V) was replaced by Local Cautionary Signal Number Three (LC-III) at all ports in the State, the MeT office said. Squally surface wind with speed reaching 45 to 55 kmph gusting up to 65 kmph would prevail along and off Odisha Coast. Sea condition would be rough to very rough. Fishermen had been advised not to venture into the sea, it added.

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