Bhubaneswar, Aug 28: Even as water levels in major rivers like Subarnarekha and Baitarani begin to recede, the flood situation in Odisha remains grim, with thousands still stranded in submerged villages across Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur districts.

In Balasore’s Baliapal block, villages such as Kudamansingh continue to reel under waterlogging. Roads remain submerged under 2–3 feet of water, and residents returning home after five days of displacement are met with devastation. Damaged homes, ruined crops, and disrupted livelihoods paint a bleak picture. Farmers fear that recently planted paddy has rotten due to prolonged submersion.

More than 40 villages across eight panchayats in Baliapal, 30 villages in six panchayats of Jaleswar, and over 50 villages in nine panchayats of Bhogarai block have been affected. Officials estimate that floodwaters will take another 3–4 days to fully recede.

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In Bhadrak’s Dhamnagar block, floodwaters from the Baitarani River are slowly withdrawing, but thousands of hectares of farmland remain inundated. Similarly, Chandbali block has reported flooding in 20 villages across four panchayats, with residents forced to wade through waterlogged roads for daily movement.

Jajpur district faces a severe crisis due to a massive breach in the Kani River near Binjharpur. The breach has impacted over 20,000 people across 15 panchayats, including Ahiyas, Malikapur, Kaspa, Katia, and Mangalpur. Villagers are struggling to rebuild homes and restore basic amenities amid the destruction.

Adding to the concern, the Regional Meteorological Department has forecast continued rainfall across Odisha until August 31 due to a low-pressure system over the northwest Bay of Bengal. This could prolong the flood recovery process and heighten anxiety among affected communities.