Bhubaneswar, 19 August (H.S.)r: Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday said a medium-level flood is likely in the Subarnarekha river, with water levels expected to rise further in Balasore district due to continued water discharge from the Jharkhand catchment area.

The minister said the overall flood situation has improved in several parts of the state as rainfall declined over the past 24 hours. However, continued discharge of water from Jharkhand, including around 1,410.42 cubic metres per second (cumecs) from Chandil Dam, is likely to push up water levels at several locations along the Subarnarekha.

At Rajghat, the Subarnarekha is already flowing above the danger mark. Meanwhile, water levels in the Brahmani, Baitarani and Budhabalanga rivers are showing a declining trend.

Pujari said the water level in Balasore is expected to rise further during the evening and may increase significantly around midnight. In view of the situation, the Balasore district administration has been placed on high alert. The administrations of Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Jajpur have also been cautioned to remain prepared.

According to the minister, the flood situation continues to affect 68 blocks across six districts, including Balasore, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Bhadrak.

A total of 469 gram panchayats, 1,579 villages and 64 wards across 10 urban areas have been affected. Overall, 11,65,837 people have been impacted by the floods, while 4,26,675 people have been evacuated to safer locations.

Floodwaters have affected around 58,465 hectares of land, while 1,882 houses have been damaged, the minister said.

Pujari directed the Balasore district administration to immediately inform the state government if additional rescue teams or relief materials are required to deal with the emerging situation.

The minister also announced measures to support farmers affected by the floods. The state government will arrange the supply of seeds and establish outlets for the sale of government-procured seeds.

While around 16,000 quintals of seeds are currently available, the state requires approximately 40,000 quintals. The additional requirement will be procured from the Central Government, Pujari said.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda