NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Imran Khan in Bhubaneswar
The situation in coastal Orissa has worsened even as the state government, with the help of the air force and army, has mounted a massive relief and rescue operation in the flood-affected districts.
Over five million people having been affected and about one million are still marooned.
"The meteorological office has predicted more rains in the state as a result of the low-pressure centre in the Bay of Bengal," an official in the state revenue control room said on Thursday.
For an already drained state government, the met office forecast has come as bad news. More rains will result in fresh release of water from the Hirakud Dam, and that will certainly increase the water level in the Mahanadi river system
All schools and colleges have been closed over the weekend while examinations slated under the Utkal University, Berhampur University, Sambhalpur University, Fakirmohan University and the Jagannath Sanskrit University have been deferred.
The toll has risen up to 43 and the floods have damaged 350,00 hectares of paddy area and 46,000 hectares of non-paddy crops, official sources said.
The state government, with the help of the air force and army, has mounted a massive relief and rescue operation in the flood-affected districts.
IAF helicopters have started air dropping food packets and army jawans have started rescue operations.
Armed with boats and life saving jackets, four columns of army jawans from the Eastern Command have been deployed on relief work.
Heavy-lift IL-76 transport aircraft are forming an air bridge to the state, an IAF spokesman said.
The aircraft have airlifted units of army engineers with their special bridging equipment to carry out relief operations.
The IAF has also pressed into service six MI-17 and MI-8 helicopters from the Eastern Air command. The MI-8 choppers made 12 sorties on Wednesday and four on Thursday for dropping food packets.
About 50 tonnes of relief materials had been dropped from the air till the filing of this report.
ALSO SEE Flood fears spark panic in Cuttack Floods in Orissa cause havoc, toll 43 Orissa floods: Copters land for rescue operations Orissa sends SOS to Centre: PTI
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
