Bhubaneswar: With decrease in rainfall in eight southern Odisha districts, flood situation in the State saw marginal improvement on Thursday. However, the situation in some areas still remains grim.
However, according to sources, flood water is flowing four feet above the bridge on river Hati in Junagadh block in Kalahandi district. Movement of traffic continues to remain disrupted between Bhawanipatna and Nabarangpur on the National Highway No 26. Flood waters have entered villages of Balichada, Biripur and Matikhal in Biripur block and Kotegaon in Junagadh block. Villagers of three villages of Kalampur block have been shifted to safer places and they are being provided with free food by the Kalahandi district administration, said sources.
Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) unit from Jharsuguda has been rushed to the affected areas of Kalahandi district. The unit is engaged in rescue and relief operations.
Vineet Bharadwaj, sub-collector, Dharmagarh, “On behalf of the administration we are keeping a close watch over the situation, evacuating people wherever it’s required. People are little reluctant to move out of their homes. We have arranged for free kitchens at places. We are evacuating them to safer places. We are keeping a close watch over the situation and will do whatever is necessary”. Similarly, in Nabarangpur district two villages of Debraguda and Sirisa and three hamlets under Tentulikhunti block have been badly affected by the floods. People of these villages are being provided with food by the district administration. However, with a decrease in the rains there has been a little improvement in the situation in these villages. Besides, there has been a decrease in the water level in river Vamshadhara at Kashipur which had crossed the danger mark on Wednesday.
Also following a breach in the embankment of Naibara nullah, eight villages in Gahangu panchayat in Aska block have been marooned. The marooned villages are Danachandanpedi, Gahangu, Nuapalli, Benapata, Keshapur and Amburaigada. With flood waters flowing over the roads, communication remains affected.
