Preliminary assessments indicate that 264 villages across 56 gram panchayats and 17 wards in Jaleswar municipality have been affected by the flood. Heavy rainfall over the past four days has exacerbated the flood situation as the Subarnarekha, Budhabalang, and Jalaka rivers continue to rise.
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The Odisha government on Tuesday placed the Balasore district on high alert after the Subarnarekha River flooded over 250 villages across five blocks, officials said. So far, more than 400 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in Bhograi, Jaleswar, Basta, Baliapal, and Sadar blocks.
Preliminary assessments indicate that 264 villages across 56 gram panchayats and 17 wards in Jaleswar municipality have been affected by the flood. Heavy rainfall over the past four days has exacerbated the flood situation as the Subarnarekha, Budhabalang, and Jalaka rivers continue to rise, a district official reported.
During a review meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Balasore District Collector Suryawanshi Mayur Vikas confirmed that while the Subarnarekha River’s water levels continue to rise, the Budhabalang and Jalaka rivers have begun receding.
The minister directed authorities to evacuate residents in advance and ensure they receive cooked food and shelter. The state is on high alert for the next 48 hours, as the Central Water Commission has forecast that the Subarnarekha River may surpass 10.95 meters, worsening the flood situation, particularly in the Basta, Bhograi, and Baliapal blocks.
Mayurbhanj district, which also received heavy rainfall, faces a similar threat. Evacuations from low-lying areas in Badasahi, Betonati, Rashgovindpur, and Saraskana blocks have already begun.
Pujari noted that Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, and Bhadrak districts have experienced significant rainfall over the past four days, causing rivers across northern Odisha to swell.
Flood-like situation in West Bengal
Two people have died as flood-like conditions in southern West Bengal worsened on Tuesday following days of heavy rainfall and large-scale water releases from several dams, a senior state official reported. Districts including Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, and Paschim Bardhaman remain inundated, said Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the Chief Minister’s Chief Advisor. One person was killed in a wall collapse in Purba Bardhaman, while another died of electrocution in Hooghly.
In the last 24 hours, massive amounts of water have been released from various dams, including 1,33,750 cusecs from Durgapur Barrage, 40,000 cusecs from Kangsabati Dam, 2,00,000 cusecs from Maithon Dam, and 50,000 cusecs from Panchet Dam, adding to the flooding.
Heavy rainfall was reported across multiple districts, with Baghmundi in Purulia recording 134.20 mm, Bhairabbanki in Bankura recording 90.4 mm, and Kharidwar in Purulia recording 106.4 mm since Monday.
Several rivers, including the Rupnarayan, Dwarakeswar, Shilabati, Kaliaghai, and Kalapaleswari, are flowing above danger levels, Bandyopadhyay said.
The Disaster Relief Teams, both from the state and central governments, are actively working in Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, and other districts to provide relief. Seventeen state disaster relief teams and eight NDRF teams are deployed in affected areas, including Hooghly, Howrah, and Purba Medinipur.
The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has increased water discharge from its dams, raising the total outflow from 90,000 cusecs to 2.5 lakh cusecs by Tuesday morning. This sudden surge has triggered a ‘red alert,’ raising concerns about further flooding in downstream districts.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over the potential flood situation in seven districts, warning of increased risk following water releases from dams in neighbouring Jharkhand.
