BALASORE: Incessant rains triggered by low pressure over Bay of Bengal on Sunday compounded the woes of flood victims of Balasore district. Though the flood water has started receding, the residents of 20 panchayats are still marooned.The affected persons alleged that the district administration had been callous in managing the flood situation. They said though they are under flood water for the last two days, no official has come to their rescue. Sanatan Das of Chunabhati-Talasahi area said they were surviving on dry food items since Friday as the flood water has washed away their belongings and damaged houses.Several people from Badpal, Kathasingada, Gambharia, Bahanalpur, Chhanua, Sartha and 10 more panchayats from Remuna and Sadar blocks of the district have made similar allegations. Labourers, who were working in the brick kilns and the worst hit, demanded immediate relief. They have taken shelter on the tractors and trucks stranded on the NH 5 and highlands near their kilns. “As the kilns are in low-lying areas, our houses collapsed in the floods. We only have polythene sheets for cover,” said Champa Singh, a labourer. Several villages in Remuna and Bahabalpur have also been cut off from the mainland as the flood water is flowing over the connecting roads. Sources said one Bablu Hembram (45) of Rangamatia village under Raibania police limits died when he fell into a flooded morum quarry on way home. Police have retrieved the body and sent it for postmortem. District Collector Akhila Bihari Ota said he was yet to get any official figure of the extent of damage. “I have asked the BDOs and revenue officials to assess the damage on a war footing. We will provide house damage assistance once the report is received,” he said.BARIPADA: Around 20 villages in Badasahi block of Mayurbhanj district have been cut off from the mainland as the flood water is flowing over the roads connecting Baisinga-Manatri-Betanoti, Manatri-Udala and Badasahi-Kuamara. The flood victims staged a dharna at Manitri Square here on Sunday demanding relief materials. They claimed even as people were marooned for more than two days, the block officials are yet to distribute any relief. The agitators were pacified after the block officials promised flattened rice and jaggery in Kundisahi and panchayats of Managobindapur, Salagaon, Bhimda, Patisari, Chandanpur, Durgapur and Joginuagaon. Sources said, over 50 villages in Badasahi, Udala, Betanoti, Baisinga and Sadar blocks of Mayurbhanj district have been affected. While over 10,000 acres of paddy fields are submerged, houses in low-lying areas have been damaged. The damage assessment is underway. TWO DIE IN WALL COLLAPSE: On Sunday, two persons in Jharpokharia area died as walls of their houses collapsed while they were asleep. While one has been identified as Harishchandra Mal (37) of Pakatia village, the identity of another is yet to be ascertained. Four others in their family also have been injured.
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