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Rain toll mounts to 22 in State

BHUBANESWAR: At least 22 persons have lost their lives so far in the current spell of torrential rains and floods in different districts of Orissa where flood situation continues to remain grim.

The administration stepped up its rescue and relief operation though there were drizzles in worst hit Balasore and Bhadrak districts through out on Wednesday.

As per the Special Relief Commissioner’s report as many as seven persons were drowned and another one died in wall collapse in Balasore district during last four days. In Mayurbhanj district, four persons were killed in wall collapse where as two others were washed away by swirling water in Kandhamal district.

The other districts, where loss of human lives was reported, included Keonjhar (3), Cuttack (3), Khurda (2) and Bhadrak (1).

"We have launched rescue operations in Balasore district where several hundreds villages were still marooned. About 40 boats of Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force have been engaged to shift people to safer places," Additional Special Relief Commissioner Gyan Ranjan Das said.

He said floodwater entered the campus of Interim Test Range at Chandipur, where missiles were tested, in the current floods. "The water logging was 1 ft to 2 ft deep inside the campus. Many equipment were found to be under water."

Similarly, a bridge had been declared unsafe at Tinimuhan on National Highway 60 and movement of heavy vehicles had been controlled, Mr. Das said.

Water had entered district headquarter town of Bhadrak and its adjacent area on Tuesday. The State Government had already provided free-kitchen at some selected places where people were having tough time to cope with the situation.

Even after two days since rains subsided, rivers were flowing over danger mark at three river gauge sites including Anandpur and Akhuapada on Baitarani and Rajghat on Subarnarekha.

Similarly, present water level was measured to at higher side compared to maximum reservoir water level in Rengali Reservoir on Brahmani River on Wednesday. The Additional SRC said floodwater was taking time to get discharged into sea due to full-moon day.

Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre predicted more rains in a day or two.

"A cyclonic circulation lies over north Orissa and neighbourhood extending up to 4.5 km above Bay of Bengal," director of met centre S. C. Sahu said.

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