The Orissa government on Thursday issued fresh flood alert in four districts as heavy rain lashed most parts of northern region of the state due to depression.
Water level in rivers like Baitarani, Brahmani and Budhabalang were rising alarmingly. By the evening, most of the rivers were flowing over their marks
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“Major rivers in northern parts of Orissa are in spate. We have asked the collectors of Keonjhar, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Jajpur to remain alert. Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel have been sent to the vulnerable pockets,” Special Relief Commission (SRC) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said.
Separate teams of engineers were rushed to northern Orissa districts to check possible breaches on river embankments, the SRC said said.
Reports from Jajpur said flood water of Brahmani had already entered 70 villages in Jenapur area while a few other human habitations in Rasulpur block were submerged by the swelling Baitarani, causing huge devastation.
Revenue minister S.N. Patro said collectors were asked to evacuate people from low-lying areas to safer places.
“The government has asked the collectors to keep round-the-clock vigil on the embankments. Besides, they have been told to keep adequate stock of relief materials to meet the possible flood situations,” said the minister.
Meanwhile, the local office of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) office said the low the depression formed over the Bay of Bengal was likely to move West-North-Westwards and cross North Orissa-West Bengal Coast between Balasore and Digha soon. As a result, the northern region is likely to experience heavy rains in the next 48 hours, the IMD office said.
The state revenue and disaster management department has advised hoisting of storm warning signals at all ports in the state. “Gusty surface wind speed, reaching 45-55 kmph to 65 kmph, would blow across Orissa coast with the sea condition slated to be rough to very rough. Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea, it said,” the IMD office said.
The fresh flood has come has a headache for the state government which still struggling to cope up with the huge destruction caused by the high flood in the Mahanadi and its tributaries