Flood Fury / Floods Ravage Odisha as over 17,000 Affected in Puri

Odisha, Aug 1: Floods continue to affect several districts of Odisha, with Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, and Cuttack reporting widespread damage and disruption.

According to the Puri district emergency department, 17,221 people across 15 villages in 10 panchayats under Nimapada, Pipili, Delang, and Kanas blocks have been impacted.

Relief distribution has begun, with 46 quintals of flattened rice and 5.3 quintals of jaggery supplied to affected families. The agriculture department’s preliminary report indicates nearly 3,100 hectares of farmland have been damaged.

Also read: Odisha Braces for 5-Foot Inundation in Bhubaneswar, Jagatsinghpur & Puri Pockets Sunday-Monday

To provide medical support, a team has been deployed in Kanas block. District Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida held a virtual meeting with officials, directing them to ensure evacuation from vulnerable areas, supply food and drinking water, and provide medical care. He assured that the situation is under control and urged people not to panic.

In Jagatsinghpur’s Erasama block, tragedy struck when two youths were swept away by strong currents while bathing in the Hansua river near Ambiki. Fire services, ODRAF, police, and locals have launched search operations, with scuba divers joining the rescue effort.

Khordha district has also been hit, with floodwaters from the Rajua river cutting off six villages in Orabarasingh and Naranagada panchayats. Villages including Hirimul, Dihakhala, Orabarasingh, Manpur, Orami, and Dhavalpur remain isolated. Administration teams are supplying cooked food to stranded residents, though communication breakdown has worsened their plight.

Meanwhile, in Cuttack district, water levels at Mundali are gradually receding. As of 6 pm on Saturday, the flood discharge stood at 5.59 lakh cusecs, showing a steady decline since Friday. Irrigation officials confirmed that water levels are falling, offering some relief to downstream areas.

Authorities across districts remain on high alert, closely monitoring the situation and coordinating rescue and relief operations. While floodwaters are receding in some regions, the scale of damage to agriculture and infrastructure remains significant.