Balasore, June 23: Floodwaters in the Subarnarekha River have begun to recede, but many villages remain submerged, with water still flowing through streets. The first wave of flooding from the river has affected more than 15 panchayats in the Bhograi block.
Villages such as Kumbhiragadi, Manu Nagar, Kholabadia, Aruhabarti, Kulha, and Kusuda Gabagaon are among the worst-hit. In these areas, many houses are still partially submerged, forcing residents to take shelter on higher ground, where they have constructed temporary shelters using plastic sheets.
Over 110 hectares of farmland have been completely destroyed. After repeated appeals and media coverage, some relief materials began reaching affected areas starting yesterday.
At Rajghat, the river's water level has dropped below the warning mark. While the warning level was set at 9.45 meters, as of 6 a.m. today, the water level stood at 8.91 meters. Despite this decrease upstream, the situation in downstream areas remains grim.
In Baliapal block, six panchayats including Bishnupur, Asti, Madhupura, Baliapal, and Jamkunda have been badly affected, with over 20 villages inundated. Several villages like Chaudhurikud, Bishnupur, Chadabas Kalaruhi, Palchampi, Jamkunda, Kuhlachadha, Talapada, and Bada Talapada remain completely cut off from other parts of the localities.
Although the volume of water has decreased since yesterday, vast areas of farmland are still flooded. Fields meant for growing vegetables and paddy are now covered in standing water, rendering them unusable and resulting in major agricultural losses.
