CM Majhi beings aerial survey of rain-hit districts in southern Odisha

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi commenced an aerial survey of the southern Odisha districts of Ganjam, Koraput and Nabarangpur, which have been severely affected by heavy rains and river overflow. The districts were among 13 impacted by the incident, prompting local authorities to evacuate residents and establish relief camps.

The Hirakud Dam opened an additional two sluice gates to release surplus water, with 22 gates currently discharging excess water. As of Saturday, over 70,000 people had been relocated to 395 relief camps. Majhi reviewed the situation with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, though their assessment was delayed by two hours due to a helicopter technical issue.

The chief minister will tour the impacted areas in Ganjam, Koraput and Nabarangpur before holding a meeting in Jeypore, Koraput district. The recent deep depression over the Bay of Bengal triggered torrential rainfall and flooding in these districts. Balasore, a coastal district, faced the brunt of the disaster, with three major rivers surpassing danger levels, particularly the Subarnarekha River which reached 11.68 meters at Jaleswar's Rajghat.

The Budhabalang River and other smaller streams were also in spate. Similipal National Park's tourist site, Devkund, temporarily closed due to swollen streams and water channels.