Odisha: red alert for next 2 days, over 5 lakh people affected due to floods

A red alert has been issued in Odisha due to the possibility of a fresh spell of torrential rain over the two days because of the formation of a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal.

The state is already reeling with over 5 lakh people in 5 districts affected due to the flood in the Mahanadi river because of the incessant rains since last week.

Some villages in affected districts are completely submerged with flood waters reaching a depth of 10 feet.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday made an aerial survey of five of the 12 flood hit districts of the state and announced succour for the affected in the calamity for the next 15 days.

Patnaik made an aerial survey of the Mahanadi delta area falling between Luna, Chitratola and Paika rivers in Kendrapara district, Kujang and Naugaon in Jagatsinghpur district, Gop, Nimapara, Astarang, Delang, Pipili and Kanas areas of Puri district.

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He announced relief to the people of flood affected villages of the worst hit districts of Khudra, Puri, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur for 15 days.

The chief minister also announced relief for seven days for the people of the flood hit areas of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh and Angul districts, which are all located in the upstream of river Mahanadi.

Both cooked and dry food, candles, matchboxes, drinking water pouches, medicines, baby food and other essentials will be provided to the flood victims by the government, he said.

Expressing concern over the inundation of the populated areas in the Mahanadi delta region in which many farmlands and houses have been damaged, Patnaik directed officials to expedite relief work, provide cooked food, healthcare service and supply drinking water to the people of the affected areas. He asked the department concerned to provide fodder and treatment to the cattle in the region.

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Patnaik also directed the districts' authorities to undertake damage assessment within seven days of the water receding from the villages and provide assistance to the affected people within 15 days.

(with PTI inputs)