Subarnarekha swelling now, 4 blocks in Balasore severely affected

Balasore: As Odisha battles a high-intensity flood in the Subarnarekha river, Balasore on Monday proved to be the hardest affected, with floodwaters flooding many villages, trapping hundreds of people inside, and severing road connectivity in several areas of the state.

The situation for those living in these flood-affected areas got worse as the swollen Subarnarekha continued to flow above the danger mark, according to sources, severely affecting a significant number of villages in the four coastal district blocks of Baliapal, Bhograi, Basta, and Jaleswar.

The Balasore government has put plans in place to evacuate more than 1.2 lakh people on Monday, when the Subarnarekha's floodwaters are expected to be at their highest. "People are being evacuated in full force. Senior officers are in charge of organising the operation on the ground, according to a senior official.

However, several villagers in the Baliapal, Jaleswar, and Bhograi blocks said that they did not have much time to relocate to safer areas because government officials had not yet reached many of these places.

According to a report from Baliapal, the flood situation in the block's communities has gotten worse, marooning more than 40,000 people. Floodwaters have engulfed residents of at least 45 villages across 12 panchayats in the block.

According to a resident of Rasulpur in the Bhograi block, "Even schools, Anganwadi centres, and other structures in the region that were designed to shelter people being transferred from vulnerable sites have proven unsuitable for housing them as they are under knee-deep water."

Teachers were forced to hand out 10th class diplomas to the pupils from a safe location on the road close by because the village's high school was under water.

"To be admitted to colleges, pupils who passed the Class X exams need their certificates. We are handing over the certificates to the pupils and their guardians from the road since floodwaters are pouring into the school building, said a teacher.

A girl student who waded through waist-deep water on the village road to pick up her certificate said, "We are grateful to the professors since they are assisting us in a large way despite the tough condition.

A woman from Kalikapur in the Baiganbadia panchayat of the Jaleswar block claimed that because the entire area is engulfed in flooding, they have been deprived of relief help.

"We have been unable to cook for the past two days since all of our possessions and kitchenware are submerged in water. No one from the government has arrived yet, and there is no food, she claimed.

The Baliapal-Kamarda road was cut off by floodwater four feet above it, cutting off access between the two regions. A Kalikapur resident claimed that as a result, villagers were compelled to transport a pregnant woman to the hospital in a country boat.

Subarnarekha's water level, which was 11.90 metres at 9 a.m., is now 11.88 metres below that level. But the water is still running above the danger line close to Rajghat and Jamsolaghat.

According to sources, the Subarnarekha River was flowing in Rajghat at 11.90 metres per second when the danger level was 10.36 metres, posing a major threat to people in various areas of Balasore.

The Balasore district administration has announced that all schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres in the Basta, Baliapal, Bhogarai, and Jaleswar blocks will be closed indefinitely due to the flood situation. Teachers and other staff members will continue to work at their places of employment while classes are suspended in all schools in these locations for the sake of the children's safety and security.

According to an official, actions have been taken to involve employees of the Panchayati Raj institutions, women's self-help organisations, and other parties involved in the evacuation of people.

Following the release of floodwater from Jharkhand and additional severe rains brought on by a strong depression over the Bay of Bengal, the rivers in north Odisha's rivers continued to climb in water levels. Following a significant downpour, the Galudih barrage in Jharkhand released about six lakh cusec of water onto the Subarnarekha river, adding to the woes of residents in north Odisha.

In the Balasore and Mayurbahnj districts, 58 rescue teams made up of members of the NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Service were deployed, according to officials.

For any situation, the Balasore district government has 40 operating teams at its disposal. After the floodwaters subsided, the Balasore district was permitted to conduct relief activities using local boats.