Flash floods marooned villages in Rayagada, 4 IAF helicopters requisitioned for relief and rescue operation

Bhubaneswar:  Two ODRAF teams, Fire Services and CRPF were deployed for relief and rescue operation and four helicopters of IAF requisitioned for air dropping as flash floods in river Nagabali and Kalyani marooned 12 villages in Kalyansinghpur and Rayagada block in South Odisha.
Official sources said three bridges washed away resulting disruption of road communication while train services were also badly hit as railway bridge between Therubali and Singapur Roadd station has been washed away.
The Commandant, NDRF, Mundali has been requested to send three units of NDRF with equipment and boats to Rayagada for relief and rescue operation and free kitchens have been opened to provide seven days emergent food to the people affected by the flash floods.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the flood situation at a high level meeting here and directed the administration to undertake the relief and rescue operation on a war footing.
Mr Patnaik said the government had sought the help of Army and pressed the IAF helicopter in the relief and rescue operation as large number of people need to be evacuated from their houses submerged by the flood waters.
He said the state control room in the Special relief Commission(SRC) Office is tracking the flood situation and the Rayagada District Collector is in charge of the situation and instruction has been issued to take all measures to ensure relief, rescue and other mitigation measures.
The flood water is flowing above the Rayagada ? Andhra Pradesh road .the government had requested all all neighboring districts of Rayagada to provide the required manpower and material support to Rayagada district.
All schools of Kalyansinghpur Block will remain closed. The school children of Budaguda Ashram school are safe and the water,official sources said is receding in Nagabali..
A report from Koraput said incessant rains for the past three days have also triggered a flood like situation in many plain areas in Koraput district as major rivers are in spate. (UNI)