Orissa flood situation grim, toll rises to 36

BHUBANESWAR: Torrential rain, triggered by a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal, has caused second flood in the state in less than a fortnight taking the toll to 36 and marooning hundreds of villages, officials said here on Monday.

"The flood and rain-related incidents have so far killed 36 people. At least half a million people in eight of the 30 districts in the state have been affected by the deluge," Orissa revenue and disaster management minister Surjya Narayan Patra said here.

While 29 people have been swept away in the strong currents of the flood water, seven others died due to collapse of their mud houses.

Hundreds of villages in flood-hit districts of Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Koraput have been inundated and most of them remained cut off from the rest of the state. People were seen taking shelter on the roof tops and trees, reports reaching the state revenue control room here said.

Several roads have been breached in Nayagarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati districts. The stretch of national highway 201 between Bolangir and Sambalpur has been breached while two to three feet water was flowing over several roads in Bolangir town. Bolangir, incidentally, recorded the highest of 190 mm rainfall during the day, followed by Titlagarh (129 mm) and Bhawanipatna (107 mm).

The state government has pressed Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) into service to evacuate the marooned people to safer places. Nearly 10,000 people have been rescued so far, Mr Patra said.

The low pressure-induced rains also breached embankments at several places disrupting road communications in many parts of western and southern Orissa. The floods also destroyed standing crops in nearly 10,000 hectares in these areas, officials added.

According to Prof S N Pasupalak of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, the fresh low pressure, lying close to Paradeep, has intensified further causing heavy rain across Orissa during the next 48 hours. Gusty winds ranging from 45 kmph to 55 kmph are expected to blow along and off Orissa coast owing to the system. Fishermen have also been warned not to venture into the sea.

Major rivers in the state were in spate, while some of them were flowing above their danger levels at many places. Officials apprehend the flood situation may worsen.

Even the famous Sun Temple in Konark remained knee deep in water and tourists were seen wading through three feet water to visit the 13th century Black Pagoda. Experts feared the prolonged water-logging might threaten the gigantic structure of the shrine.