BHUBANESWAR: Even as the overflowing Mahanadi river system flooded vast areas in Orissa on Friday affecting more than 14 lakh people, the water level at the Mundali gauge station started receding, averting the threat of further damage at the lower end. About 13 lakh cusecs of water was discharged at Mundali on Friday morning and the water level started receding later in the day. But Mahanadi and its distributaries - Devi, Kushabhadra, Kathajodi, Chitrotpala and Paika - were flowing above the danger level worsening the flood situation downstream.

According to Special Relief Commissioner Jagadananda Panda, it may take another 12 hours for the water level to recede at the lower end. A total of 211 villages have been marooned by the floods.

Mr. Panda said a total of 3,211 villages had been hit by the current spell of floods in as many as 12 districts with a total of 8,849 houses being damaged and crop area of more than one lakh hectares being affected. Many areas in the districts of Nayagarh, Cuttack, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara were cut off due to breaches on river embankments and other roads.

A total of 94 roads were cut off by the floods.

Revenue Department officials said that senior administrative officials had been deputed at the flood-hit districts to help the district administrations in providing relief to the affected population.

The situation is likely to improve in a couple of days in the absence of high tide in the sea and no rain across the State. The State has so far experienced four spells of floods this monsoon. The Centre has announced a sum of Rs. 200 crore as the first instalment of flood assistance. A central team is also expected to visit the State to assess the damage caused.

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