Relief Air-dropped in Jajpur Dist

BHUBANESWAR/JAJPUR: With flood situation in four North Orissa districts remaining grim, the State Government on Saturday started air-dropping of food packets as 992 villages continued to be marooned for the second consecutive day.Meanwhile, six persons died and another went missing in flood waters. While two persons died in Jajpur district, one each died in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj districts.This apart, snakebite cases were reported from Kendrapara district.The district headquarters town of Jajpur and the entire Bari block are cut off. While Rudhia bridge on Budha river linking Jajpur town with the National Highway-5 collapsed on Friday disrupting the main road link, the other approach road is overflowing with flood water from Kharasrota river.As essentials could not be supplied to Jajpur town and flood-affected villages of Bari block, prices of all commodities have shot up. The Government has decided to drop cooked food to the flood-affected areas of Jajpur district.Three helicopters were used to airdrop relief materials and the Centre has provided another three helicopters (MI-17), engaged in anti- Naxal operations in neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.The flood situation is likely to worsen in Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers with the opening of six gates in Rengali system on Saturday night . The three rivers __ Baitarani, Brahmani and Kharasrota __ besides the Budha were flowing menacingly on Saturday.Sundargarh district is facing the worst ever floods of the decade with the situation remaining grim on the outskirts of Rourkela city. The swelling Brahmani submerged vast stretches of residential pockets.Baitarani and its tributaries were in spate for the second consecutive day on Saturday in Bhadrak.