People wade through an area waterlogged by river Dahuka in Nayagarh district. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 19: Road communication at several places in Kandhamal, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Puri districts have been disrupted because of flash floods following heavy rain.

One person was swept away today on the Khurda-Balangir highway near Khurda. Rescue operation is on. Water was flowing above the Khurda-Balangir highway at Simar, disrupting road communication between Khurda, Nayagarh, Kandhamal and Balangir.

On Friday, 225mm of rain hit seven blocks in Kandhamal district. Flash floods disrupted communication on several roads, including the main one connecting Baliguda and Tumudibandh. The road connecting Kandhamal and Khajuripada was also partially damaged near Gudari.

Kalingapadar village in Ganjam was also affected by floods in the Badanadi river. The situation in Nayagarh district worsened with floods in the Dahuka river, which has affected 11 villages of seven gram panchayats of the district. In Cuttack district, the road connecting Khurda and Banki was cut off.

Revenue and disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patro said expeditious steps were being taken to restore road communication. “Most of the roads cut off during flash floods have been restored,” said Patro.

The Brahmani river was rising at Jenapur in Jajpur district, Subarnarekha near Jamsholaghat, Baitarani near Akhuapada and the Kushabhadra river near Nimapada. Though the water level in the Mahanadi near Naraj was falling, it was flowing above the warning level.

An official of the regional meteorological centre here said the low pressure, formed over the Bay of Bengal, was moving towards Chhattisgarh. Rain or thunder showers might occur at few places in the state in the next 24 hours, said another official.