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Imran Khan in Bhubaneswar
Indian Air Force helicopters landed on Tuesday morning to carry out relief and rescue operations in the marooned areas of a flood-devastated Orissa, official sources said on Tuesday.
"Two helicopters have already landed and the other three are expected at any moment now. These copters will come with about 200 army jawans," a senior official of the state revenue department said.
In view of the grim flood situation, five senior IAS officers have been deployed to lead the rescue and relief operations.
The water level in the Mahanadi river is flowing above the danger mark since Monday due to heavy rains in the upper reaches during the last 24 hours and release of water by Hirakud, official sources said.
Orissa Special Relief Commissioner Hrisikesh Panda told rediff.com that the situation would worsen by Tuesday evening. "We cannot stop it. We have to face it now," he said.
Panda said that all the rivers in the Mahanadi delta were flowing above the danger mark.
However, he informed that the government was going to evacuate people from the low lying areas before the flood hits them.
The state cabinet has already held an emergency meeting to review the situation. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a message televised by the local Doordarshan, said heavy rains have sparked flood fears in Mahanadi and its tributaries, the Kathjodi, Biluakhai and Devi rivers.
Official sources said one million cusecs of water would pass through the Naraj point on Tuesday prompting the state government to issue a red alert over fresh floods.
The district administrations in Puri, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur have been asked to remain on maximum alert.
Authorities have asked people in low-lying areas to move to safer places and additional police forces have been deployed to patrol all river embankments.
Adequate amount of foodstuff, medicines and fodder has been stocked to meet with any eventuality.
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