Rivers recede but misery of flood affected people in north Balasore continues

The flood situation in north Balasore remained grim on Tuesday with large swathes of Bhograi, Baliapal and parts of Jaleswar marooned, even as the Subarnarekha river began showing signs of a gradual fall in water level.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE BALASORE, 26 AUGUST:

At Rajghat, the river was flowing at 10.60 metres, well above the danger mark of 10.35 metres, due to the release of excess rainwater from the Galudih barrage in Jharkhand. Though officials of the Water Resources Department forecast a decline below the danger level by early Wednesday, the continuous opening of barrage gates over the past three days has already inundated hundreds of low-lying villages.

According to reports, more than 120 villages across three blocks have been affected — 40 villages in Baliapal, 30 in Jaleswar and 50 in Bhograi. Around 70 villages under 28 gram panchayats remain severely waterlogged, disrupting communication links and forcing residents to rely on boats for essential movement. Nearly 3,600 people are believed to be affected.