Death toll rises to 12 in Odisha floods, state government puts 6 districts on high alert

As the death toll for the Odisha floods increased 12, the state government put the collectors of six districts on high alert in the delta region, with the water level in Mahanadi and Baitarani rivers swelling due to depression-induced heavy rainfall.

The incessant heavy rains since the last few days have weakened the embankments. Reports said the embankments have developed multiple cracks and perforations at several places.

As per reports, the right embankment of Mahanadi river has weakened at Sirlo, Khentalo, Tarapur, Mallipur and Bankola. The embankments of Chitroptala, Luna and Birupa rivers have also become vulnerable at several places.

"We should remain in a state of full preparedness to tackle any emergency situation and provide immediate relief to the affected people," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said after taking stock of the situation here.

Stating that the state has received heavy rainfall during the last three days, necessitating evacuation of some people and provision of temporary shelter, Patnaik said the district authorities must start damage estimation.

Four persons died in Kalahandi district, while two persons were killed in Sambalpur, and one each in Kandhamal, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Subarnapur, Nayagarh and Malkangiri districts, Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office sources said.

Meanwhile, SRC BP Sethi has put the district collectors of Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda and Puri in Mahanadi delta area on high alert as 7,30,877 cucec of water flowed through Mundali gauge station near Cuttack by this evening.

Similarly, the collectors of Keonjhar, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts have been asked to be prepared as the water level in the river Baitarani crossed the danger level at 17.83 m.

Though there has been no major breach in any river embankment, at least four lakh people in 62 blocks in 14 districts have been affected, officials said.

The water-level in Mahanadi and Baitarani is likely to further rise as the weather department forecast more rains in the next 24 hours.

The Water Resources Department has rushed mobile teams to keep a close watch on weak embankments and canals.

The waterlogging situation in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri has improved as rains stopped since yesterday, the officials said.

(With PTI inputs)