Kathajodi waters have flooded CDA Colony in Cuttack. A man rescues children and moves them to a safer location on Sunday. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 11: The state government today started air-dropping food packets in the flood-hit areas of Puri and Jagatsingpur district as 877 villages remained completely marooned in nine districts.

Two choppers of Indian Navy and the helicopter, used for anti-Maoist operation, were pressed into service for relief work. Three choppers made three sorties. Another chopper is likely to join the relief work from tomorrow.

The death toll has gone up to 16 and three people reported missing.

Special relief commissioner Pradeepta Mohapatra said: “Fourteen lakh people at 2,788 villages of 93 blocks in 19 districts have been affected by flood. From tomorrow, more areas will be covered under the air-dropping operation.”

The Mahanadi river and its tributaries are flowing above the danger level. The Baitarani and Brahamani rivers are flowing at the danger level.

As the water in the Kushabhadra, a tributary of Mahanadi, is flowing above the danger level, Gop area in Puri district remained cut off. People of Nimapara-Konark areas have been badly hit because of the swelling Dhanua river. Cuttack-Banki and Choudwar-Athagarh roads were cut off because of a major breach on the Mahanadi. The water entered the low-lying areas of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

A breach on the Paika river embankment at Ukasia and Kathakot in Tirtol and Kujanga block in Jagtsinghpur district cut off the major roads between Tartol and Hansura, Tirtol and Kolar, Kesarada and Arilo and among Tirtol, Posal and Sankeswar.

Many parts of the Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts have also been badly hit by flood. The water is still flowing above the danger level at Daleighai, on the Kathajodi and Biluakhai river system. Though no major breach has been reported at Dalieghai, water started to sip in at four places on the Dalieghai embankment.

State water resources secretary Suresh Mohapatra said: “There is no reason to panic at this moment. Now, only 24 gates were closed in the Hirakud reservoir. Another 12 gates will be closed at 9pm. The water discharge from the Hirakud reservoir came down from 13 lakh cusec to 6.38 lakh cusec. The situation is expected to improve further as rain in upper and lower catchments of the Mahanadi has stopped.”

After returning from Delhi, chief minister Naveen Patnaik made aerial survey of the flood-affected areas in Puri, Cuttack, Jagtsinghpur and Kendrapara districts. Later, Naveen took a review meet of the flood situation.

Revenue minister Surjya Narayan Patro said: “The flood situation will improve after 1pm tomorrow. Water discharge of the Hirakud river has come down.”

More than 3.33 lakh people living at 430 villages under 127 gram panchayats in 14 blocks have been affected by floods in Cuttack district.

In Sambalpur district, more than 1,00,000 people have been affected by flood, even as water has started receding.

More than a hundred flood-affected residents of Sonepur town today gheraoed the local tehsildar alleging official apathy. There was also widespread resentment among the flood-affected people at Binka as none of the senior officials was available for relief work.