​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, August 18: More than 7.85 lakh people in 1,300 villages across Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara districts have been affected by floods, according to the latest status report issued by the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office.

Schools Closed in Flood-Affected Areas

Authorities in Bhadrak ordered the closure of 268 schools across six flood-affected blocks on Tuesday. As many as 567 Anganwadi centres in the affected areas were also shut.

Officials said waterlogged roads and adverse weather conditions had made travel difficult and posed risks to students.

Schools and Anganwadi centres in Sundargarh were also closed in view of the flood situation and forecasts of heavy rainfall. In Jajpur, the district administration ordered the closure of all government, private and Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya schools.

Parents were advised to keep children indoors and away from waterlogged areas as a precautionary measure.

Around 300 Students Stranded in Kendrapara

Meanwhile, around 300 students of Kulasahi Ashram Residential School in Kendrapara district remained stranded on the flooded campus for the third consecutive day.

Floodwaters surrounding the school have disrupted access to drinking water, food and toilets. Students have also reported snakes emerging from the inundated areas, adding to concerns over their safety.

Kendrapara Collector Raghuram R Iyer said the students had been shifted to the first and second floors of the school building as a precautionary measure.

He said the strong flow of floodwater around the campus had made immediate evacuation difficult. Authorities are monitoring the situation and taking necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of the stranded students.