Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik says Flood situation shows signs of improvement in the state, water levels of major rivers receding.
Despite the fact that floodwater in most rivers had started receding, the plight of lakhs of people in the affected areas was turning worse with basic needs like polythene sheets, drinking water and food materials not reaching them.
These people were taking shelter under the open sky on embankments and roadsides for the last five days. The miseries of the affected people spending sleepless nights compounded with fresh low pressure induced intermittent rains which had started since Friday.
Complaints were galore relating to the non-provision of essential relief materials from the districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Puri districts, where over 1.35 lakh people were still taking shelter on embankments and roads. Besides, an estimated 3.37 lakh people were marooned in 526 villages where relief materials were a far cry.
The allegation of starvation death of one elderly woman in the flood-affected Phulpur village under Dharmasala block in Jajpur district due to non-provision of relief exposed the failure of the administration to come to the aid of the people in distress.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Mohapatra on Saturday directed the Jajpur district Collector to inquire into the matter. The SRC admitted that fresh rains had added to the woes of the affected people, particularly those taking shelter on embankments.
However, the SRC said that there was enough stock of relief materials including food stuffs and added that the district authorities had been advised to undertake coordinated effort in distribution of relief materials through the local Sarpanches of affected villages to avoid any short supply of relief materials including fodders.
He said that as many as 1.59 lakh people were still taking shelter on safer places and were being given cooked food through 204 relief centers.
On the flood situation, Mohapatra said that over 1.35 lakh people had taken shelter on various river embankments and roads although the water level in all the major rivers had started receding and there was no new breach. As many as 38 breaches had occurred so far, he informed.
But in the downstream of the Mahanadi in deltaic region, the flood water in the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur , Kendrapada and parts of Khurda had caused serious problem as large areas had been inundated. Overall there had been respite from a major flood situation in the Mahanadi delta region, he said.
On the discharge from Hirakud reservoir, the SRC said that only 24 sluice gates were kept open at present following a reduced inflow of water in the Mahanadi. Considering the inflow and weather condition, some more gates are likely to be closed, he said.
With one more casualty reported on Saturday, the death toll in the current flood increased to 22.
Meanwhile, local Met office said a low pressure area had formed over the north Bay of Bengal region under the influence of a cyclonic circulation. The low pressure will further trigger rains at most places over north Odisha and at a few places over south Odisha during next 24 hours while heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur at one or two places over north Odisha during next 24 hours. Gusty surface wind speed reaching 35 to 45 kmph and rising up to 55 kmph might prevail along and off the State’s coast, it said, sounding a word of caution for the fishermen while venturing into the sea.
