Thousands stranded by river breaches.

In the district of Jajpur, a calamity unfolded on Wednesday as two breaches in the right embankment of Kani River caused widespread flooding. The river is a distributary of Baitarani and the breaches, measuring about 80 and 50 feet, occurred at Dobabil under Dasarathpur block. This unfortunate event affected the lives of nearly 30,000 people residing in the panchayats of Tarpada and Kasapa.

As floodwaters surged, villages were submerged and roads were cut off, causing major disruptions in the daily lives of the residents. In a frantic attempt to seek safety, people fled to the Baitarani embankment and designated flood shelters, carrying with them whatever belongings they could salvage. The situation was dire as the water levels even reached the height of windows in many homes.

Reports state that around 1,000 hectares of agricultural land have also been engulfed by the floodwaters. To make matters worse, the Baitarani river was flowing nearly 10 feet above the danger mark at Dasarathpur. The market of Ahiyas was completely swept away by the raging waters, while roads connecting the villages of Ahiyas-Baishapal and Ahiyas-Kafi were rendered impassable.

The disaster did not spare the inhabitants of at least 10 panchayats, including Kasapa, Mallikapur, Duduraanta, Nizampur, Kayan, Kamadihi, and Khamanagar. The situation was grave and required immediate action. In an effort to contain the damage, authorities opened seven gates of the Samal Barrage, releasing a staggering 4,986 cubic metres of water per second by 4 pm on Wednesday.

However, officials warned that if additional gates were to be opened, the flood situation could worsen in the blocks of Korei, Jajpur, Dasarathpur, and Binjharpur. To assess the situation on the ground and expedite rescue operations, State Excise Commissioner P Anvesha Reddy and Jajpur Collector Ambar Kumar Kar visited the site of the breaches. They were joined by former Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das, BJP leader Gautam Ray, and BJD district president Saroj Mahapatra, who also visited the affected areas and urged the administration to take swift action in providing relief to the affected residents.

Despite the challenging circumstances, rescue operations were carried out on a war footing and people stranded in waterlogged areas were safely evacuated. It was a difficult time for the people of Jajpur, but with the combined efforts of the authorities and local leaders, the community stood strong in the face of this natural disaster.