Floods in Odisha marked concerns among villagers living riverside

Key points

• In Kasanaanta village under Pattamundai block, 45-year-old Santosh Jena along with his wife Parbati and their two sons moved to…
• Sarat Rout (57) of Singhgaon in Pattamundai had a narrow escape after he was reportedly swept away by strong currents…
• Haladhar Rout, a resident of Gobindapur in Aul, said, “Our village is completely submerged.
• As reports indicate, over 1.96 lakh people under 65 panchayats throughout the district have been affected by the floods.

KENDRAPARA: Fresh heavy rains caused floodwaters to rise further in several riverside villages on Tuesday, compounding the miseries of residents already reeling under the deluge for the past two weeks.

Hundreds of families remained stranded across riverside villages in Pattamundai, Rajkanika, Aul, Derabisi and Rajnagar blocks, with numerous still waiting for food, drinking water and medicines as rescue operations were hampered by the rain.

In Kasanaanta village under Pattamundai block, 45-year-old Santosh Jena along with his wife Parbati and their two sons moved to a neighbour’s two-storey building as the floodwaters rose. When he returned to collect some belongings, he found his house completely submerged.

Sarat Rout (57) of Singhgaon in Pattamundai had a narrow escape after he was reportedly swept away by strong currents when floodwaters rapidly inundated his house on Monday. He managed to cling to a coconut tree until he was rescued.

What happened

“The situation is grim. Hundreds of our villagers are trapped in the floodwaters,” said Pramod Rout of Singhgaon. With floodwaters continuing to rise, several families fled their homes and took shelter on rooftops. Many villagers have erected makeshift shelters using bamboo and polythene sheets on river embankments and other elevated areas, he stated.

Haladhar Rout, a resident of Gobindapur in Aul, said, “Our village is completely submerged. So are dozens of surrounding villages. Most people have left their villages. As there are too many hungry and thirsty residents.”, we are desperately waiting for food supplies.

As reports indicate, over 1.96 lakh people under 65 panchayats throughout the district have been affected by the floods. The administration has deployed 126 boats for rescue and relief operations. Preliminary reports indicate that 14,268 hectare of agricultural land have been affected. Hundreds of houses remain partially submerged while floodwaters have damaged 107 village roads.

Sources said the 10-km stretch between Dandisahi and Alava has been completely cut off after roads were damaged by flash floods. Locals are using motor rescue tubes to rescue people trapped in the floodwaters.

The details

Kendrapara collector Raghuram Iyer said office-holders have been deputed in the flood-hit areas to extend a helping hand to the affected residents. “Our priorities are to prevent loss of human life, save livestock and evacuate people if there is any potential danger,” he added.