Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today directed officials to repair various river embankments that were breached in the recent floods that hit northern Orissa and other districts.

Naveen, who reviewed the post-flood situation in seven districts this morning, asked officials to immediately repair Baitarani, Kharasrota and Vamsadhara embankments that have been breached by surging floodwaters.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also asked the officials to lay concrete roads in place of tarred ones that were washed away in the flood.

In the third phase of the Orissa floods, more than 16 lakh people in 1,848 villages were affected in districts such as Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Sundargarh, Kalahandi and Myurbhanj.

The floodwater wreaked most havoc in Balasore affecting 9.5 lakh people in 1,249 villages in Bhograi, Baliapal, Basta, Jaleswar and Sadar. In Bhograi, Baliapal, Jaleswar and Basta blocks the majority of gram panchayats were marooned. So far, 33 people were reported to have been killed in the third phase.

Also, in today’s meeting it was revealed that despite a respite Subarnarekha and Jalaka were flowing above the danger-mark.

However, fortunately the Budhablanga is flowing below the danger mark.

In Jajpur district the flood situation is still grim as three of its major rivers — Baitarani, Brahmani and Kharasrota — are still flowing over the danger-mark. Their water can affect more 2.33 lakh people in Jajpur, Bari, Korei, Dharmasala and Dasarathapur blocks in the district. Floodwaters are still flowing in several major district roads.

In Bhadrak, road traffic has been disrupted on Bhadrak-Aradi road, while in Jajpur, the road connecting Sathipur is still under water.

To add to it, Brahmani in Bhadrak is still flowing above the danger mark at Jenapur. The chief minister also asked the officials of the water resources department to undertake a detailed survey of changing course of rivers like Vamsadhara and Rushikulya.