Flood situation of Orissa still remains grim, 24 lakh hit

[Guest guest]

The flood situation remained grim in the coastal areas of Orissa on

Sunday. While 24 lakh people and 10 lakh animals were affected in

the major flood in 110 blocks of 17 districts, six lakh people were

still reeling under the deluge.

The State Government stepped up relief and rescue operation with air-

dropping dry food and water pouches. At least 16 people and more

than 100 domestic animal were killed in the floods so far.

 

The situation continued to remain grim as Mahanadi and its

tributaries which were in spate for the last four days caused at

least 32 breachesWhile as many as 621 villages in Kendrapara

remained water-locked, 3,683 villages in 951 panchayats were

affected by the flood.

Chief Secretary Ajit Tripathy, who briefed newsmen about the

situation, said 11000 houses were damaged and 55,000 hectare

cultivable land were under the flood water.

The government machinery geared up to intensify relief work and air-

dropping of relief materials, medicines and water pouches in

different flood affected areas, the sources said. Describing the

recent flood as the most furious in last 55 years, the engineer-in-

chief of water resource department HC Behera said the maximum flow

of water at Munduli near Cuttack was this time recorded at 15.81

lakh cusec against the previous highest of 15.80 lakh cusec in 1982.

Water level in the Hirakud dam near Sambalpur in western Orissa

stood at 629.50 feet on Sunday morning as against its maximum

capacity of 630 feet, and the authorities closed down 15 sluices.

Now only 18 sluices are draining out the inflow into the reservoir.

As a large number of areas in the Mahanadi delta region were

submerged in flood water, the state government had started air

dropping food materials on Saturday and the exercise was resumed on

Sunday. " We have also asked for three more choppers from the Air

Force to assist in rescue and relief operation " , Tripathy said.

Besides four districts of Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and

Puri in delta region, the flood had also caused havoc in Angul,

Bhadrak, Bolangir, Boudh, Gajapati, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Keonjhar,

Khurda, Nayagarh, Rayagada, Sambalpur and Subarnapur.

 

Kailash Ch Maharana

Chairman,Maitri Club

College sq.Aska,Ganjam,Orissa,India

Cell-9861419038

 

Maitri Club is a Animal welfare Organisation working since 1998 .