Jajpur, June 22: At least 5,000 people in about 35 villages in four blocks of Jajpur district of Orissa have been affected following floods - the first of the season - in the Baitarani River, official sources said today. Hundreds of people, living in low-lying areas, had shifted to safer places following warning by the government as the water level in the river rose to 17.80 feet against the danger mark of 17.83 feet at Akhuapada, the sources said.


Floods in the Kharashrota and its tributaries---Kani, Kochila, Budha and Genguti---had also inundated over 22,000 hectares of agricultural land in 18 panchayats.
The blocks affected are Jajpur, Korei, Dasarathapur and Binjharpur.
The Kharashrota was flowing just below the red mark at Binjharpur as road communication to several villages had been cut-off.

The Baitarani also threatened the neighbouring Bhadrak district though no inundation had occurred so far, the district collector, Srikant Paikray said.

Bureau Report