Bhubaneswar: While more than 1.63 lakh people remained marooned in 139 villages due to floods in the Mahanadi river system, rising waters in Subarnarekha river on Wednesday inundated vast areas in Odisha`s Balasore district.
The rise in the water level of Subarnarekha river sparked fears of flood in Bhograi and Baliapal blocks in the north of Balasore district. The river was flowing close to warning level near Jamsola ghat.
Balasore district collector Arvind Agarwal said as the water level was still below the danger mark, there was nothing to worry and the district administration was fully prepared to meet any challenge.
Though flood waters receded in most places of the Mahanadi delta area, people of 115 villages in Puri district still remained encircled by water as the pace of water discharge to sea was slow, an official at the Special Relief Commissioner`s office said here.
Meanwhile, death toll due to floods stood stood at 46, but the number of houses damaged in the calamity mounted to 42,781 according to estimation made by the district collectors, said Deputy SRC Pravat Mohapatra.
