Bhubaneswar: With the flood situation in
northern Orissa further worsening, the state government on Sunday intensified air-dropping of food packets as 3003 villages
remained marooned while the death toll climbed to 11.
While the number of marooned village was 992 till last
evening, more than 2,000 villages had been inundated
overnight, said revenue and disaster management minister S N
Patro adding, the death toll increased to 11 after five
persons were swept away in flood water.
"As river Brahmani is in spate and water level continues
to rise, the officials had been asked to focus on the rescue
operation," Patro said.
Bari block in Jajpur district and Rajnagar, Aul and
Rajkanika blocks in Kendrapara district have been severely hit
as all communication channels to these pockets had been
disrupted. About 10 lakh people were encircled by flood water
in these areas, they said.
A senior IAS officer had reached Bari block to supervise
rescue and relief operation. A large number of people were
taking shelters on roof tops and they need to be evacuated,
the minister said, adding floods in the river Brahmani could
further worsen.
Though the water resources department had been
regulating Brahmani floods from Rengali dam, it could not help
reduce the flood fury in the down stream, the minister said.
As the flood water entered into fresh areas, the state
government today continued air-dropping of food packets with
help of three choppers. "Two more choppers will soon be added
in relief and rescue operation", said special relief
commissioner P K Mohapatra.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, September 25, 2011, 16:35