Bhubaneswar: At least four persons were killed and another missing in the floods due to incessant rains leading to breaches in the embankment of river Baitarani while water level has started receding in all rivers, officials said today.
The recent floods have affected about two lakh people in eight districts, special relief commission's (SRC) office said adding a report of four deaths came from three different districts.
While one person died after he was drowned in Bhadrak district another died due to a wall collapse in Bargarh district. Two other persons were swept at Gangua Nullha in Khurda district and one person was missing in Mayurbhanj district, sources in the SRC's office said.
As flood waters entered into 100 villages in Jajpur and Bhardak districts where river Baitarani is on spate, the state government has launched rescue and relief operations in the affected areas, they said.
Special relief commissioner P K Mohapatra said district collectors of Jajpur and Bhadrak have been told to evacuate people where necessary.
“The water level peaked up to 40.05 metres which was against the danger level of 38.36 metres, but now it is receding. There have been two to three breaches in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts where we have asked the Collector to evacuate the people. Water level is receding in almost all rivers,” Mohapatra said.
The SRC said free kitchens have been opened to provide cooked food to the evacuated people.
Personnel of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and National Disaster Response Force have been deployed along with boats for relief and rescue operation.
The districts which have been hit in the floods were Bhadrak, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Khurda, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada and Sundergarh.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) today said rainfall in the state would reduce in the next two to three days.
