Bhubaneswar/ Balasore: The Odisha government Tuesday put the Balasore district administration on high flood alert after water of river Subarnarekha entered into over 250 villages in five block areas, officials said.
The local administration has so far evacuated over 400 people to safer places after flood water entered low-lying areas of Bhograi, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal and Sadar blocks.
According to a preliminary assessment, 264 villages in 56 gram panchayat and 17 wards in Jaleswar municipality have been affected by the flood, they said.
The coastal district through which Subarnarekha, Budhabalang and Jalaka rivers flow is facing a flood situation due to very heavy rainfall during the last four days, the official said.
Attending the review meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari, Balasore District Collector Suryawanshi Mayur Vikas said that while the water level of Subarnarekha river was rising it had been receding in Budhabalang and Jalaka rivers.
The minister directed the district authorities to evacuate people well in advance depending upon the situation. “Cooked food should be provided to the evacuated people and the Collector should to remain on high alert for the next 48 hours,” the minister said.
The office of the special relief commissioner said that considering the present scenario as well as the forecast of the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level in the Subarnarekha river may cross 10.95 metres causing a flood situation in Balasore district, especially in the Basta, Bhogarai and Baliapal blocks.
Neighbouring Mayurbhanj district is also facing flood threat as the area received heavy rainfall during the last three days, an official said.
The field officers and response forces are in place in Badasahi, Betonati, Rashgovindpur and Saraskana blocks of Mayurbhanj, an official said, adding that the administration has started evacuation of people from low-lying areas.
The minister said Balasore and Mayurbhanj have received significant rainfall, whereas Jajpur and Bhadrak districts also received good amount of rainfall in the last 4 days, leading to rise in water level of several rivers in northern Odisha.
PTI