Odishatv Bureau

Kendrapara/Jajpur: Life in flood hit villages of Bari block in Jajpur district is limping back to normalcy after river Brahmani and its tributary Kharasrota has started receding since yesterday even as the situation in Kendrapara has remained grim.

As many as 112 villages of nine blocks in Jajpur were affected by the deluge of which water subsided in some villages since yesterday.

"Situation both in Kendrapara and Jajpur districts is improving as water level in Brahmani river has receded. Cooked food is being served to the affected people. The breach that has occurred in the embankment in Bari of Jajpur will be repaired soon after the water recedes," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said.

A large tract of farmland has been eroded by flood waters while some others were buried under sand after water lessened. The farmers are reeling under the effect of calamity. With no support from anywhere they are under severe mental stress.

"My vegetable crops were completely submerged under flood water. My kids are school goers. It is a cause of my headache how to maintain my family now," a farmer said.

Similarly, relief materials are yet to reach some of the flood victims in Bari.

On the other hand the situation has remained miserable in Kendrapara district. Lakhs of people were marooned in Aul and Pattamundai blocks in the district. As many as 11 panchayats were cut off while 50,000 people especially in Petapada, Eradanga, Palimi, Sansidha, Juania villages were worst affected. Even as the water receded gradually, the marooned villagers alleged that they were not provided with adequate relief material.

Many cattle rearers face acute fodder shortage as the grass in and around the villages is either damaged or washed away. They urged the government to provide with fodder to save the livestock.

"Some villages in Bari block of Jajpur were marooned due to breach in river embankment.  Some in Aul and Pattamundai blocks of Kendrapara have faced similar situation as water level increased in Brahmani and Kani rivers. However, the situation is expected to improve as the water started receding," Deputy Special Relief Commissioner Prabhat Mohapatra said yesterday.

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