Bhubaneswar, Sept 26: Orissa government today sent boats with relief materials after helicopters failed to drop food packs to flood-affected people in Jajpur district due to paucity of dry land even as a central team arrived here to assess the damage caused in Mahanadi floods.
“Air-dropping of food items was not possible in Bari block of Jajpur district as the entire area has been submerged in flood water,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro told reporters after reviewing the flood situation.
Though water level in Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Budhabalang and their tributaries was falling, river Brahmani had been on spate, he said adding the flood water of Brahmani had completely submerged Bari block and many places of Rajnagar, Pattamundai and Aul blocks in Kendrapara district.
“At least five choppers are engaged in dropping food packets in other flood-hit areas,” Patro said. Besides, he also claimed that above 460 boats were engaged in the operations, he said.
With the government unable to drop food packets from helicopters, reports of people starving was received from Jajpur and Kendrapara districts.
A central team, comprising four members from ministries of Road Transport and Highways, Agriculture, Health and Water Resources arrived here to assess flood damage.
“Though the team is to assess damage due to the first spell floods in Mahanadi system, we will take them to Jajpur district for review of the situation,” said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Mohapatra adding the team will visit three western districts tomorrow.
Informing that a large number of people living on both sides of river Brahmani had been evacuated to safe places last night, the minister said the situation was likely to remain grim in Jajpur and Kendrapara till tomorrow.
The second spell of flood in northern Orissa has affected more than 21 lakh people in eight districts, mostly in Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Angul and Sundergarh districts.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the second spell of flood mounted to 19 with six casualties reported from Jajpur district. “Besides, there is report of two persons missing in Angul and Keonjhar districts,” said special relief commissioner Mohapatra.
Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and fire brigade were engaged in the operation. PTI
