India News | Over 50 Villages Marooned in Odisha's Balasore After Breach in River Embankment

Bhubaneswar/Balasore, Sept 22 (PTI) Over 50 villages were inundated in Odisha's Balasore district on Wednesday following a 150-feet breach in the embankment of river Jalaka, prompting the administration to launch an evacuation drive.

Around 2,000 people living in low-lying areas of Basta block have been moved to safer places as the flood waters entered 30 villages following the breach, Balasore District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarty said.

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He said food and other essential items were being provided to the evacuees.

“Heavy rain in the upper catchment area of Jalaka river has caused the flood and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams have been deployed for rescue work,” he said.

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The water level of Jalaka river at Mathani was at 7 meters at 6 pm as against the danger level of 5.50 meters.

Thousands of acres of paddy crop have been submerged, while road communication between Basta and Baliapal in the district snapped due to waterlogging, an official said.

The police station and SDPO office at Basta have also been inundated, he said, adding, power supply was affected, too.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)