20 villages marooned, collectors put on alert

Bhubaneswar: At least 20 villages in Balasore and Jajpur districts have been marooned for the past three days despite an overall improvement in the state's flood situation even as the government has ordered caution in view of possible heavy rainfall due to cyclone Komen.

"The collectors of northern districts have been kept on alert to meet the situation in the event of heavy rainfall under the influence of cyclone Komen.

"However, no adverse weather or rainfall under its influence has been noticed anywhere in the state till the evening," said special relief commissioner (SRC), GVV Sarma.

While 10 villages under Jaleswar block were marooned in Balasore district, an equal number of them are under water in Jajpur district. The villages in Jajpur block were under Korei Block-4, Jajpur Block-2 and Dasarathpur Block-4, he said.

As per reports received from collectors of the northern districts, about 4.79 lakh people in 593 villages under 15 blocks and one urban local body in each of the five districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore have been affected by the current floods in the state, he said.

While three persons have died in the floods, one person is missing, the SRC said, adding that most of the people who had to be evacuated due to the floods have returned to their homes except for 55 people at one relief camp in the Bhogarai block of Balasore district.

"Steps have been taken on a war footing by water resources department to close four breaches in river embankments.

"Breaches have occurred on the right embankment of Baitarani river near Ganeswarpur village in Jajpur district, on the left embankment of the same river near Khaljori in Chandabali block of Bhadrak district, on Subarnarekha left embankment near Dahamunda in Balasore district and on the left embankment of Kani river near Panchupada in Jajpur district," he said.

However, all rivers in the state are flowing much below the danger level, said sources in the SRC's office.