Rivers recede, farmers woe overflows

BALASORE: With the low pressure weakening further and moving into Jharkhand, it has been a day of relief for people of North Orissa. Flood waters in all three rivers __ Jalaka, Subarnarekha and Budhabalanga __  started receding on Monday and the situation has improved. People, who had taken shelter in safer places, have returned home.The district administration had anticipated a major flood in Subarnarekha after it played havoc in Jharkhand on Sunday. The river has now started flowing below the danger level. On Monday evening, the water level was at 10.16 metres against the red mark of 10.36. Jalaka river was still flowing above the danger mark of 5.5 metres.ADM Sribatsa Jena said the water level in Subarnarekha had crossed the danger level and touched 10.84 metres before receding. By Tuesday morning, it is expected to come down below the warning level. “We are now guarding the embankment of Jalaka as it is still flowing above the red mark. We have restored  Kudia bridge, which had caved in along Basta-Baliapal road. The situation has improved,” he said.Meanwhile, vehicular movement to Baliapal and parts of Basta has been smooth as the flood water, which was flowing on major connecting roads, has receded. People affected by floods at Gagandhuli panchayat in Khaira area have blamed the administration for not reaching out to them when they were stranded for over two days. “Nearly 40 families in Mallikapur village were marooned till Sunday. But not a single officer has visited us. Our belongings have been destroyed and we are sustaining on dry foods,” said Narayan Das, a villager.With the flood water receding, the woes of farmers have unfolded. The floods, triggered by heavy rains, have submerged more than 50,000 hectares of agricultural land in five blocks of the district, ruining paddy crops of thousands of farmers in the region. “We have been facing untold miseries since past couple of years. While last year we were affected by drought, the unseasonal rain damaged crops in rabi season. We are left in the lurch. If the Government doesn’t assist us, we cannot raise crop once again,” said a farmer.The ADM said the District Agriculture Officer has been asked to assess the agricultural damage and prepare a proposal to be submitted to the Government.