By IANS
Balasore (Orissa) : Torrential rains in Orissa triggered flash floods across coastal Balasore district as three major rivers overflowed their banks, marooning over 600,000 people Friday.
Around 487 villages in four blocks – Bhogarai, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal – and 16 wards of Jaleswar in Balasore district, 200 km from here, have been affected.
"We have evacuated only 550 villagers Friday and they have been provided with dry food materials. As the rain is still continuing in the catchments areas, the situation is expected to remain grim Saturday," official Bhagaban Behera told IANS.
While Jalaka river continued to remain above the danger mark for the second day Friday, Subarnarekha river too crossed the danger level. The Budhabalanga river is rising and is expected to cross the danger mark Saturday.
Balasore district has so far received 28 cm of rain.
The three rivers have breached embankments, submerging thousands of acres of agricultural fields and inundating scores of villages. Road communication to most parts of Bhogarai, Jaleswar, Baliapal and Basta blocks have been disrupted.
"Villagers have taken shelter in safer places in the affected villages while 18 power boats and one unit of Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force have been engaged for rescue operations," Balasore Collector A.C. Padhiary told IANS.
Meanwhile, 130 quintals of flattened rice has been dispatched to the flood-hit villages. "We have provided 40 quintals flattened rice each for Bhogarai and Jaleswar blocks as well as 30 quintal for Basta and 20 for Baliapal block," P.K. Mishra, in-charge of relief operations, said.
The meteorological office has predicted more rain in north Orissa, including Balasore. Squally weather and winds with a speed of up to 70 km per hour is likely to prevail along the north Orissa coast, a weather official said.