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Rain wreaks havoc in Balasore

Staff Reporter

Situation turns critical in as many as 25 villages in Basta block

BHUBANESWAR: Heavy rain in catchment of the Subarnarekha river wreaked havoc in Balasore district on Friday, inundating large areas.

At least at two river gauge centres in the Subarnarekha basin, water was flowing well above the danger level. It was feared that the water level would rise later in the night. However, no loss of life was reported. Most parts of north Orissa received more than 20 cm rain during the last 24 hours.

Revenue control room sources said 90 residents of four villages under Bhograi blocks were rescued and sheltered in different schools. The villages were Kanarpur, Makidia, Muntania and Totapada. Similarly, about 25 per cent of residents of Manunagar village under the same block were shifted to nearby ME School. Cooked food was being supplied to the affected villagers, the Revenue Control Room said.

The worst-hit blocks of Balasore districts were Bhograi, Jaleswar, Baliapal and Basta. Two power boats were hired to carry out rescue operations in the district.

“Twentyfive villages under five gram panchayats of Basta block are almost on the verge of getting marooned. As many as 16 persons were affected by diarrhoea,” said a bulletin released by office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) here.

Meanwhile, normal life was paralysed due to incessant rain across north Orissa. At Joda in Keonjhar district 30 cm rainfall was recorded. Some 1,000 persons were shifted to four shelter houses and served cooked food. Four families in nearby Champua block were rescued.

Jamsolaghat received 27 cm rain during the last 24 hours and there was no let-up when reports last came in. Similarly, Rajghat, Tiring, Ghatsila, Rairangpur and Jameshedpur in Subarnarekha river basin received over 20 cm rain.

The depression that formed over West Bengal had caused at least three rivers of the State to swell. These three river systems are Budha Balanga, Baitarani and Subarnarekha.

“Depression over Gangetic West Bengal remained practically stationary and concentrated into a deep depression over the same area north of Kolkata.

The system is likely to move in a west north westerly direction. Under its influence, heavy rainfall was experienced in Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts,” the SRC bulletin said.

The flood situation also figured in the State Assembly. Legislators from the the rain-hit region demanded that the Revenue and Disaster Management department initiate urgent measures to provide succour to the affected population.

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