Flood Fury / Odisha Flood Fury: Villages Marooned, Relief Yet to Reach

Bhubaneswar, Sep 29: Odisha continues to reel under the impact of relentless floods triggered by heavy rainfall upstream and large-scale water release from Hirakud dam.

For the fourth time this year, the Mahanadi river has overflowed, inundating vast stretches across Boudh, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, and Baleshwar districts, leaving thousands stranded and desperate for relief.

In Boudh district’s Harabhanga block, villages such as Kudasingha, Panighara, Tirada, and Khandidhalpur have been marooned for four days. Residents of Panighara remain cut off from the outside world, with no relief materials reaching them.

Also read: Mahanadi Flood: Jute Fields Inundated in Banki's Bilipada

Crops of paddy and vegetables have been destroyed, schools and colleges shut, and ambulance services disrupted. Villagers rely solely on makeshift wooden boats to move around, even as poisonous snakes and crocodiles roam floodwaters, heightening fear. Locals have demanded immediate intervention and relief from the district administration.

Bhadrak district witnessed a dramatic rescue operation. A nine-month pregnant woman, Saptarani Malik of Aduaa Panchayat, was trapped inside her flooded home for three days, suffering labour pains.

On Tuesday, fire service personnel, assisted by an ASHA worker, reached her by boat and evacuated her safely to Basudevpur Medical. Heavy rains since Sunday night had submerged low-lying areas of Aduaa, Barandua, and Sudarshanpur, cutting off access and leaving residents stranded.

Jagatsinghpur district too has been battered. Floodwaters entered villages in Raghunathpur and Tirtol blocks, forcing residents of Kotakana, Mundasahi, Gopiakud, and Manijanga to shift to school buildings.

Authorities have provided dry food and cooked meals at relief centres. However, in Kujang block’s Haripur village, floodwaters rose over 10 feet on the main road, breaking embankments and isolating communities.

Farmers, particularly those cultivating vegetables, have suffered massive losses, with crops worth lakhs destroyed. Villagers also complained that cattle feed has not been supplied yet.

By Tuesday morning, Hirakud dam had closed two gates, but 24 remained open, releasing over 4 lakh cusecs of water. The reservoir level stood at 629.65 feet, with inflow exceeding 4.58 lakh cusecs.

In Baleshwar district, the Subarnarekha river has once again wreaked havoc. Though water levels have begun receding, misery has deepened in submerged villages.

Residents of Baliapal, Bhograi, and Jaleswar blocks remain surrounded by stagnant floodwaters, with cattle starving and families surviving on boats. This marks the fourth flood of the year in the Subarnarekha basin, devastating thousands of hectares of farmland.

Farmers lament that repeated inundation has destroyed paddy and vegetable crops, crippling their finances. In Bishnupur Panchayat’s Ward No. 6, villagers remain marooned without any government aid, forcing them to endure hunger. Anger and frustration are mounting among flood victims.