Current Situation
The Odisha government on Monday put the collectors of six districts (Cuttack, Kendrapara,
Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda and Puri) on high alert in the delta region as 7,30,877 cusecs of water flowed through Mundali gauge station near Cuttack by Monday evening., with the water level in Mahanadi and Baitarani rivers swelling due to depression-induced heavy rainfall, even as the death toll rose to 12. The government apprehended a "low to medium" flood in Mahanadi and Baitarani and asked district collectors in the delta region to remain prepared for all emergency situations. The line departments and districts concerned have been asked to keep field functionaries ready and draw up an emergency plan to meet any eventually.
As of 23rd July 2018, the severe rainfall and flood has affected 14 districts, 62 Blocks,1082 Villages, 3.14 lakh (3,14,682) population of Odisha and around 5360 houses also have been damaged. The districts which have been affected in the floods are Angul, Boudh, Bargarh, Deogarh, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Khurda, Koraput, Nayagarh, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Puri.
Other Updates-
• The state has received heavy rainfall during the last three days, necessitating evacuation of some people and provision of temporary shelter have been madade and all affected district authorities will start damage estimation very soon.
• SRC had informed that over 300 mm rainfall was recorded in 23 blocks while 200 mm rainfall was registered in 46 blocks during the last three days’ heavy downpour triggered by the low pressure in the Bay. The SRC said the situation has completely improved in four of 18 affected districts. Disruption of communication and damage to life and property in limited scale have been reported from Sambalpur, Angul, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Boudh, Nayagarh and Sonepur districts,
• The heavy downpour and flash floods have caused around 14 deaths including 4 deaths in Kalahandi district, while two persons were killed in Sambalpur, and one each in Kandhamal, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Subarnapur, Nayagarh,balasore,raygada and Malkangiri districts as per Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office and media reports.
• Similarly, the collectors of Keonjhar, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts have been asked to be prepared as the water level in the river Baitarani crossed the danger level at 17.83 metre.
• The situation is yet to improve in districts of Angul, Baragarh, Deogarh, Gajapati,
Jajpur, Kamdhamal, Malkangiri, Sambalpur and Sonepur.
• Free kitchens have been arranged for evacuated people in Sambalpur and Sonepur, while dry food is provided at relief camps in Malkangiri and Rayagada.
• The water-level in Mahanadi and Baitarani is likely to further rise as the weather department forecast more rains in the next 24 hours. Looking at the danger level, all the gates of Naraj Barrage have been partially opened on Monday.
• The Water Resources Department has rushed mobile teams to keep a close watch on weak embankments and canals.
• The district administrations have also been asked to keep temporary shelters ready for emergency situation and shift people living in the low-laying areas to safer places.
• 4,000 people were shifted to 25 temporary shelters and relief camps in different parts of sambalpur district.
• In a bid to expedite search and rescue operations in the affected areas, the state government has deployed 12 teams of Disaster Response Force (ODRAF), personnel of Fire Service and 5 teams of the NDRF have been pre-positioned in 5 districts namely Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur (Barachana Block), Puri and Jagatsinghpur for emergency.