Flood Fury / Floodwater Washes Away NH‑20 in Bhadrak

Bhadrak, Aug 25: The fury of floods continues to wreak havoc in Chandbali area of Bhadrak district, where a major stretch of National Highway‑20 has been washed away.

Heavy rainfall and rising waters of the Baitarani river have damaged nearly one kilometre of the highway, leaving commuters stranded and villages cut off.

The highway connects Aradi in Bhadrak with Kuakhia in Jajpur, serving as a vital link to Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

Also read: Villager Dragged Into River by Crocodile in Odisha

Floodwaters have swept away around 300 feet of concrete road near Olaga panchayat’s Bodak village, creating deep craters and making the stretch impassable. Locals say the situation is so severe that even walking across the damaged road is risky, as it is difficult to distinguish between land, road, and water channels.

For the past 20 days, vehicular movement on NH‑20 has been completely halted. Residents traveling from Jajpur to Aradi, especially devotees heading to the Baba Akhandalamani shrine, have faced immense difficulties.

Villagers of Bodak too are struggling with disrupted connectivity, forcing them to demand immediate repair and restoration of the highway.

Floodwaters continue to flow over the highway, merging the river and road into one. The relentless current has left the stretch submerged, with damage extending nearly a kilometre. Authorities have yet to announce a timeline for repairs, but locals insist urgent action is needed to restore normalcy.

The incident highlights the vulnerability of Odisha’s infrastructure to recurring floods. With monsoon rains showing no signs of abating, residents remain anxious about further damage and prolonged isolation.