Flood Situation In Orissa 21th Sept 2008

REPORT ON FLOOD HAVOC IN ORISSA Assessment Date & Time: 21st September 2008 up to 7 PM

An Overview: With the magnitude of devastation caused by furious flood, Orissa has experienced a rampage wreaking havoc in 4500 villages under 17 districts after a long span of time of 26 years and witnessed one of the worst misfortunes of people in its history. The horror has shuttled the lives of 24 lakh people in almost all coastal districts of the state and has occupied 24 lives in different affected areas so far. Around 4 lakh people have been marooned in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Puri districts while flood water submerged more areas breaching river embankments. There are 57 breaches in these four districts compounding the misery of people who spent sleepless nights on the embankments keeping a watch on the increasing water level. In order to get command over the overwhelming water flow, Government recently has decided to close 7 sluice gates out of 46 gates opened yesterday at Hirakud dam still there is enough water which was surpassed earlier to create the panic at all affected areas. The havoc has been amplitude to vast regions of the state where life is very miserable and untold. The affected lives and regions of Orissa are consolidated as follows:

No. of districts – 17 No. of blocks – 200 out of 314 No. of NAC – 18 No. of villages – 4500 No. of people marooned – 24 lakh No. of people evacuated – 1.8 lakh No. of deaths - 24 No. of breaches - 57 No. of roads disrupted – 20 Loss of agricultural crops – 40 thousand hectare No. of household damages – 6417 No. of livestock loss - 3000 Loss of gross property – Rs.2500 crores (till date)

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The situation is bayonet in four affected coastal districts as gushing waters of mighty Mahanandi and its tributaries inundated vast coastal belts in Orissa on Saturday. People braced up to a grim flood situation as major rivers including Mahanadi was carrying flooded water of 15.81 lakh cusec water yesterday at Naraj and Munduli barrage. However, there has been a marginal reduction in the discharge level of water at Munduli to 15.72 lakh cusec from 15.81 lakh cusec recorded yesterday. Close to 1.80 lakh people have been evacuated to safer places till now, still number of lives are under threaten as Mahanadi is surpassing more and more flood water to its embankments with an alarming speed. Army engaged by the Govt. stood by to assist the volunteers in rescue and relief operation. IAF choppers rescued two persons from neardeath situations at Garadpur in Kendrapara. Banki sub-division had virtually been overrun by Mahanadi and remained cut off for the second day. Flood Affected Areas in Focus: At least 24 persons have lost their lives while lakhs of villagers have been marooned by sea of floodwaters in highly affected Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Puri district. Other districts, which came under the grip of this devastative flood caused by heavy rains under influence of a depression earlier this week, are Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Gajapati, Boudh, Sonepur, Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Kalahandi and Rayagada. District administrations and other volunteers evacuated 1,80,748 people after they were encircled by water. A helicopter of Indian Air Force rescued about 50 people who were stranded on a rooftop in Patkura area of Kendrapara district. People are seen fleeing to safer places as water discharge completely made their habitations submerged. While breaches are occurred at the Mahanadi embankment, the flood water is in force to break other embankments of several rivers. 5 breaches has already occurred in the Chitrotpala river followed by 2 each in Devi and Luna and 1 each in Bhargabi, Kandala, Kathajodi, Kushabhadra, Kanei and Biluakhai. The personnel of Water Resources Department have maintained a constant vigil on 'Daleighai' embankment on river Devi in Jagatsinghpur district. Flood havoc has swiped away many villages and number of households mostly in 4 coastal district along with Gajapati, Bolangir, Boudh and Rayagada in southern region. Not only the force of Mahanadi is threatened to get out of control but other rivers like; Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga and Bansadhara has already crossed the danger level at their existence. This time, flood has so far affected 17 districts of the state, namely, Angul, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Boudh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Gajapati and Rayagada. Appeal of Chief Minister: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik along with the Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal made an aerial survey of flood areas and reviewed the flood situation in a meeting, is expected to make a number of aerial surveys to different flood hit areas at the subsequent stage. Chief Minister Mr. Patnaik send a letter to Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday seeking 1,500 crore for relief and rescue operation in the State and urged the Prime Minister to declare the flood havoc as a national disaster. The Chief Minister in his letter has mentioned that due to the current flood, properties worth Rs 2,500 crores have been damaged while 16 people have been killed so far.

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Moreover, the CM has also gone through the report on flood at a meeting here at State Secretariat on Saturday and asked authorities to step of rescue and relief operations in all flood-affected areas. The Major Areas of Grave Concern: Initial estimates said 200 out of 314 blocks of Orissa had been affected by the flood which had so far claimed 24 lives. The areas where the devastation is clearly apparent are as follows:




14 blocks in Cuttack




9 blocks in Kendrapara




8 blocks in Jagatsinghpur




8 blocks in Jajpur




7 blocks in Puri

Water flow in Mahanadi has shown the sign of stability but the river still creating breaches at many places. At Munduli, the water discharge, which stood at 15.81 lakh cusec at 6 a.m., dropped to 14.94 lakh cusec by night. Cuttack - Mahanadi is flowing over the danger level at Naraj, while its branch river Kathjodi is also flowing over the danger mark at Bellevue gauge station near Cuttack. Lakhs of people have been marooned in Banki and Athgarh areas of Cuttack district. Road communication between Cuttack and Banki has been snapped due to a breach. Thousands of people fled their homes to safer places in most areas of the district to save their lives. Around 14 blocks of the district including Banki, Athagarh, Tigiria, Baramba, Sadar, Tangi, Baranga, Niali, Kantapada, Salepur, Nischintakoili, Dampada, Mahanga and Narasinghpur have been highly affected where people of 130 GPs and 445 villages are suffering very acute difficulties. Due to overwhelming water surpassing from Mahanadi there has been disruptions in the way of Cuttack to Sambalpur. 42mauja of the region have completely been detached from other parts of the district. As per the present assumption, there are more than 15 thousand people marooned in the locality of Cuttack Sadar. 5000 households are in panic because of the breakage in gheribandh at Kantapada block. River Devi and Kandal are above the danger signal of 2 feet which threatening the lives in Niali block and made number of villages away from mainstream of communication.

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Kendrapara - Surging water in the river, namely, Brahmani, Luna, Govari, Birupa, Chitrotpala, Paika, Kani, Baitarani and Kharasrota have been inundated large areas in 9 blocks of the district, namely, Kendrapara, Rajkanika, Rajnagar, Marsaghai, Derabish, Mahakalpara, Pattamundai, Aul and Garadapur. All the above mentioned rivers flowing at the maximum point of 4 feet high from danger. Around 572705 people in 459 villages of the district are marooned in the water circle and above 15000 people have taken shelter at different safer places like; school, root of buildings and temples. Jagatsinghpur – Till now, life is in danger at almost all parts of Jagatsinghpur district and the situation is worsening from time to time as the surging water of rivers like; Devi, Kandal and Biluakhai are flowing heavily submerging number of habitations. The water flow is very furious at the point of Alipingal which has been measured at 12.62 crossing the danger point at 11.76. The most sensitive point of devastation is at Daleighai, where water flows at a height of 61.60 crossing the danger mark of 57 feet. Most part of the Machhagaon and Balikuda areas are also submerged in flood water. Around 188 villages under 61 GPs in 8 blocks have been affected and near about 141349 populations are still in the water circle.

Jajpur - Nearly 280415 people of 387 villages under 89 GPs of 8 blocks in Jajpur district have been affected by the flood. At many places road communication has been snapped as flood water of Baitarani, Brahmani, Birupa and Genguti flows severely. Particularly 30 villages of Barchana block have been highly disrupted. Flood water from Brahmani and Baitarani has entered many villages in Korei, Dasarathpur and Bari block. Over 50 thousand people of 100 villages in these blocks have been marooned so far. Puri – Most of the habitations in 7 blocks, namely, Kanas, Balianta, Balipatna, Nimapara, Gop, Astarang, Kakatpur, Pipili and Delanga are highly submerged by the water flow of the rivers. The situation in almost all parts of Puri district has become a grave concern on survival of human life. The major rivers of the district like; Kushabhadra, Bhargavi, Daya, Dhanua, Kuakhai, Rajua, Makara and Prachi are flowing severely after crossing the level of

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danger point. The suffered population is 15000 in 235 villages under 50 GPs of aforesaid 7 blocks. Nayagarh - The swollen Mahanadi has inundated 150 villages mostly in Gania, Khandapada and Bhapur blocks. People have taken shelter in nearby schools, temples and other safer places to save their family. Around 20000 domestic animals have been away from their respective locality. The entire 25 km stretch along the Mahanadi from Rasanga to Chhamundia has been flooded marooning 30 villages. Road connection between Gania and Chhamundia has been snapped as 7 feet water flowing on the road. Kantilo has been cut off from all sides of communication. Apart from this, vast stretches of agricultural land in Gania, Khandapara and Bhapur blocks have been submerged. Sonepur - As per the latest information received from the district, the flood situation has affected 6 blocks and 3 urban pockets of the district. Total 5500 population from 234 villages in 38 Gram Panchayats severely affected. Total 6608 numbers of houses damaged where 778 houses fully, 3741 houses marginally and 2089 houses partly damaged. 15000 hector of crop area affected in the flood. Shelter camps are opening in different areas of the district. Some of them are as below: Tarbha Block Tarbha, Menda and Kansira Sonepur Block Sonepur Municipality Ulunda Block Ulunda B.M.Pur Block Birmaharajpur and Subalaya

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As per the information received at this end, Boudh district has been cut off from rest part of the state and many places in southern districts of Gajapati, Bolangir, Kalahandi and Rayagada has been out of bounds as flood water from local rivers submerged almost all means of communications. Sambalpur town has also been submerged by water discharged from Hirakud dam and vested people to live in incommunicable surroundings. Visualizing these dreaded situations there is an imperative need of interventions to save the victims at large. Current Situation of Affected Areas: Lives of people are very miserable and the victims are battling for survival. Evacuation of people living in low-lying areas has been carried out by the Government, still a large number of people yet to be evacuated as all the roads and other ways has been disrupted to access them. Food & Clothing: Relief provided by the government is not reaching at every point of the affected regions. Somewhere the quantity of food and cloth is scarcely available. People are hungry since last 6 days. Particularly the children in most of the affected areas are suffering from acute hunger. Clothes and other materials at the shelter are not being adequate to the people.

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Education: Number of school buildings have been collapsed and lot of other infrastructures lost due to the havoc. All schools in the above regions have been closed since last 3 days and the teachers have been ordered to help in relief and rescue operation. Health: People, particularly the children are suffering from diarrhea, fever and other waterborne diseases during these days due to water pollution. Safe drinking water is nowhere available. Almost all water sources are submerged. People are using the flood water without any scope to purify. Health care service provided by the Government is not being adequate to serve all the affected people. Agriculture & Livestock: In most of the above regions agricultural crops have been fully damaged which has broken economical backbone of the people. The lives of domestic animals and other livestock are very miserable to see from back and forth. Number of animals have lost their lives and some who survived are still in the water circle as all the routes to come out has been disconnected. Action taken by State Government: Alarmed over the situation, the state government has asked the army to stand by for relief and rescue operation for preventing a complete deluge. Two helicopters of the Indian Air Force have been provided by the Government for rescue and relief operation. Besides Mahanadi, other major rivers like Baitarani, Brahmani, Rushikulya and Vamsadhara are also in spate. 65 free kitchens have been opened to provide food to the people in distress and a little quantity of medicines, halogen tablets and water pouches have been stored for distribution. Government has also planned to depute postgraduate medical students into service in the affected areas, if required. Further, Government has announced of a relief distribution for seven days in the flood-affected areas. Immediate Need of Interventions:






Provision of sufficient food and cloth Provision of safe drinking water Provision of materials for establishment of temporary shelters Provision of primary Health Care Service to eradicate flood-raised diseases Provision of financial assistance for reconstruction of their damaged houses.

Source of Information: Different Print Medias & News Bulletins of TV Channels, OSDMA & SRC, Govt. of Orissa, District level Emergency Officers, Field functionaries of BISWA.

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