Mahanadi drowns 3,800 Orissa villages, 14 dead

However, Chief Secretary Pratip Kumar Mahanty said the situation is likely to improve tomorrow as the water flow through the Naraj head is likely to decrease.

The administration was on tenterhooks as over 12.3 lakh cusec of water was still passing through the Naraj Delta head, a slight increase from Sunday. Floods have so far claimed 14 lives. Over 30 lakh people in 17 districts have been affected in the western districts and in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, from where Mahanadi originates, over the last few days.

Mahanty claimed that relief materials have reached all the 789 marooned villages. About 3,824 villages have been affected by the flood. The Army and the Navy launched a massive rescue and relief operation in the affected areas sending special boats and teams to evacuate the marooned people.

The reservoir level at Hirakud came down and was at 627.45 feet. Daleighai embankment on the Debi river in Jagatsinghpur district continues to be vulnerable. The water level at Daleighai came down to 61.3 feet from 63 feet on Friday, though it is still flowing much above the danger mark.

Three Army columns have been deployed in the worst affected Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Jajpur districts. Six Naval teams have been deployed in Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack districts. Army unit from Jhansi which arrived on Sunday has been divided into three groups and dispatched to Cuttack, Khurda and Kendrapara districts.

Two relief and diving teams from INS Chilika have proceeded to Banki area. Coast Guards at Paradip are engaged in rescue and relief operations in Jagatsinghpur district.

Mahanty said that another plane with 18 boats and 45 jawans has landed today.