Odisha rains: 6,834 people evacuated, shifted to safe places in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India]: Amid heavy rains and a flood-like situation, as many as 6,834 people have been evacuated and shifted to safe places in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, officials said.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu, who is closely monitoring the situation through State Emergency Operation Center on Thursday said that scores of people were evacuated and sheltered in safe places following the heavy rain and flood-like situation in the state.

“Due to heavy rain and flood-like situation, 6,834 persons have been evacuated and sheltered in safe places, They have been provided with dry food and a free kitchen along with drinking water. free kitchens have been opened at several places,” Special Relief Commissioner said.

The official further said that as per preliminary information 1.20 lakh people, 762 villages of 90 Blocks of 15 districts and 66 Wards of 17 ULBs had been affected by heavy rain and flood-like situations.

A flood-like situation is anticipated to develop in the low-lying districts of Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur as a result of the rise in water level in the River Mahanadi near Naraj, added the official.

As a result of heavy rainfall in the region, waterlogging was also reported at the Pataneswari Temple in Balangir on Thursday.

Heavy rainfall was experienced in several parts of Odisha on Wednesday.

Locals were seen catching fish at the inundated National Highway 57 in the Boudh area after ponds of the fisheries department got flooded following heavy and continuous rainfall.