Bhubaneswar, 29 July (H.S.): The flood situation in Odisha remains grim, with four human casualties reported and more than 2.03 lakh people affected across six districts, according to Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil on Wednesday.

As per the official flood status report released in the morning , a total of 2,03,208 people in 748 villages under 233 gram panchayats, 44 blocks, six urban local bodies, and four wards have been impacted. District administrations have evacuated 27,967 people to safer locations, while 226 villages continue to remain marooned due to inundation.

The worst-affected districts include Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, and Sambalpur, where heavy rainfall and rising river levels have caused widespread flooding and disruption of normal life.

Balasore district has emerged as the hardest hit, with 1,09,429 people affected across 378 villages in 12 blocks. Authorities have evacuated 19,080 residents, reported damage to 654 houses, and set up 125 relief camps, providing cooked food to nearly 16,987 beneficiaries.

In Bhadrak, around 80,000 people across 220 villages in five blocks have been affected. The administration has shifted 5,330 individuals to safer locations and is operating 41 relief camps. Dhenkanal district has reported four fatalities along with damage to 13 houses.

Jajpur district has recorded 11,156 affected people across 75 villages, with 1,640 individuals evacuated. Crop damage has been reported over 4,072 hectares, and 20 relief camps are operational. In Mayurbhanj, 2,487 people have been affected, 1,917 evacuated, with crop loss over 3,744 hectares and 87 houses damaged.

Sambalpur has reported relatively lower impact, with 88 people affected and damage to seven houses. Overall, floods have damaged 7,901 hectares of crops and 761 houses across the six districts. Additionally, nine livestock deaths have been reported.

Authorities have intensified rescue and relief measures, including evacuation of stranded residents and distribution of essential supplies. The Revenue Department is closely monitoring the situation, assessing damage, and coordinating response efforts across affected regions.

Rivers across northern Odisha continue to flow above danger levels, exacerbating the crisis. The Baitarani river at Akhuapada was recorded at 20.32 metres, significantly above its danger level of 18.33 metres. Similarly, the Salandi river was flowing at 18.70 feet, while the Jalaka river at Mathani in Basta crossed its danger mark, reaching 6.51 metres.

With vast areas submerged and waterlogging disrupting daily life, the flood situation remains critical in several parts of the state, particularly in northern Odisha, as authorities continue to battle the crisis.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda