MESSAGE BOARD NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The Brahmani picked up from where the Mahanadi left off, it seems, causing nine breaches in its embankments in the two districts and flooding fresh areas as it added to the woes of the people there, official sources said.
However, the rampaging river started receding by Wednesday evening and the situation was expected to improve, Special Relief Commissioner Hrushikesh Panda said.
The peak flood in the Brahmani and its branches, Kharashrota and Kharsuan, passed on Wednesday morning but it was still flowing about a metre above its danger mark of 23 metres at Jenapur.
According to Panda, around 800,000 people, who had left their homes in search of safer places - mostly highways and river embankments - were yet to return to their dwellings.
"Although the worst seems to be over, we are still not out of danger," Additional Development Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary in the Revenue Department Srinivas Rath said.
The fresh floods in the Brahmani had completely marooned the entire Bari block in Jajpur district comprising a population of 150,000 persons, he said.
The flooded Brahmani fed the swelling Gobari, belonging to the Mahanadi system, whose waters entered localities in the headquarter town of Kendrapara.
The Gobari was flowing about two and half feet above the red mark, official sources said.
Low-lying areas of the town, including Tinimuhani where the offices of the tehsildar and DRDA were located, had been flooded.
Rath said that though the flood waters had almost submerged the National Highway five near Panikoili in Jajpur district, it did not affect the traffic. The highway was safe, he said.
Panda assured that the government had adequate funds at its disposal to meet the immediate need of providing relief to all the affected people who numbered more than eight million.
"We have about Rs 125 crore (Rs 1.25 billion) in the calamity relief fund in addition to the previous year's balance. The Centre had also sanctioned Rs 100 crore (Rs one billion)," Panda said.
Till now, Rs 45.32 crore (Rs 453.2 million) had been released to the Collectors of different districts who had also been authorised to spend the balance amount lying with them, he said.
Panda said that army personnel already deployed in other districts were being moved to Kendrapara and Jajpur districts along with boats.
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