Flood crisis in Odisha’s Balasore: Hundreds of villages isolated, CM surveys damage
ODRAF, NDRF have been deployed to assist in rescue and relief operations in isolated villages
Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in Odisha's Balasore district continues to worsen, with vast stretches inundated due to the overflowing Subarnarekha river. The relentless downpour in the river's upper catchment areas has triggered severe flooding, leaving many parts of the district cut off from the outside world.
As per reports, the Subarnarekha river was flowing at 11.60 meters at Rajghat, significantly exceeding its danger mark of 10.36 meters. Hundreds of villages, particularly in the northern parts of Balasore, are marooned as key roads have submerged under floodwaters. Stranded residents were seen taking refuge on rooftops and river embankments, their homes swamped. Survivors have been relying on dry rations provided by government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
“We are unable to cook food as the floodwaters have soaked our grain and submerged our fireplaces,” said Geeta Dalai, a resident of Bhogarai block, one of the worst-hit areas. The blocks of Bhogarai, Jaleswar, and Balipal have reportedly been the most affected by the Subarnarekha flood.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas on Wednesday morning. He described the situation as “grim” and later convened a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar to review the government's response to the disaster.
“Balasore district is reeling under severe floods due to the heavy rains over the past two to three days. Six blocks and over 8,000 hectares of land have been submerged. Thirty-five gram panchayats across three blocks are critically affected,” the CM said.
Majhi confirmed that the district administration evacuated around 2,000 residents from low-lying areas and provided them with cooked meals.
Eight teams from the Odisha Fire Services, three teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and one team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to assist in rescue and relief operations in isolated villages.
“The Odisha government is committed to addressing the flood crisis in the Subarnarekha river basin,” said the CM. “The Engineer-in-Chief of the state has been tasked with preparing a road map for a permanent solution to the recurring floods. Once we receive the report, appropriate measures will be taken," he added.
The situation remains critical as authorities continue rescue efforts amid the challenging conditions, with hopes pinned on easing rainfall in the coming days.