Rain leaves Covid isolation ward waterlogged
Kendrapada: The administrative block and Covid isolation ward of the community health centre (CHC) at Rajnagar was waterlogged on Wednesday due to incessant rain over the past few days.
“There is ankle-deep water right from the gate. The hospital staff are draining out the excess water. All patients in the administrative block and Covid isolation wards have been shifted to safer places,” said Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty, medical officer of the CHC at Rajnagar.
The rain has also left large areas of Jajpur and Kendrapada districts waterlogged and major rivers and their tributaries swelling. Flood threat has increased in riverside villages of Dasarathpur, Bari, Binjharpur, Barachana and Korei blocks in Jajpur district.
The Baitarani was flowing above the danger mark at Akhuapada in Jajpur district on Wednesday. The district administration has stocked rice, flattened rice, molasses, kerosene and other items in all gram panchayat offices and in the block headquarters to be distributed among the people in case of any eventuality. “We have already arranged 38 power boats to face any emergency situation,” said collector (Jajpur) Ranjan Kumar Dash.
River embankments in Dasarathpur, Korei, Binjharpur, Barachana and Jajpur blocks are not in good condition. “Though earlier the villagers had asked the authorities several times to repair the embankments, they are only paying lip service. Now around 40 villages are facing flash floods-like situation,” said Akshya Jena of Dasarathpur.
In Kendrapada district, Gualigaon, Burodia, Mahuri, Pankigopalpur, Daraba, Manapur, Gahamapala, Bajarpur, Upalei and Mahurigan villages in Rajkanika block do not have strong river embankments. “With the Baitarani rising, 22 villages are facing flashfloods as the water level in the river is rising,” said Bhagabat Das, a retired school teacher of Manapur village.
District emergency officer (Kendrapada) Sambeet Satapathy on Wednesday issued the first flood warning in villages under Aul, Rajkanika and Pattamundai blocks in Kendrapada district with the Baitarani in spate. He said the administration sounded caution as inflows are likely to increase further with heavy rainfall continuing. As a precautionary measure, one National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been stationed the district.