Bhubaneswar, June 15: Water has started receding from many flood-hit areas with the intensity of rain decreasing across southern part of the state.

Power production has also resumed in the Indravati hydropower plant, which had been affected because of the flash floods in the Hati river.

The special relief commissioner said: “As the quantum of rainfall has substantially reduced in the past two days with shifting of the lower-pressure areas to the neighbouring states, the situation has significantly improved and is fast returning to normality.

Water level in the Vansahadara river has receded to below warning level and is in falling trend. All other major rivers in the state are flowing below the warning level.”

The overall flood situation in districts such as Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajapati has been improved significantly.

However, in many areas, water is still flowing over the roads.

As many as 10,000 people have been hit by the flash flood, an official said.

Vehicular traffic on the NH-26, which was disrupted due to floodwaters of the Hati river overtopping the bridge at Junagarh since Thursday, was restored today. Similarly, road communication between Borigumma and Nabarangpur, which was disrupted due to overtopping of floodwaters at Poli, has been fully restored. Road communication in the interior areas has also been restored.

Former minister from Kalahandi and Dharmagada MLA Puspendra Singh Deo today met chief minister Naveen Patnaik and apprised him of the current flood situation in Kalahandi district. The state administration assured that necessary relief would be provided to the marooned people.

“We have received reports of damage to the rabi crops in the affected districts. Field officials are assessing the crop loss in the affected areas,” said another official.

In another development, the weather department said the situation would further improve as the rainfall in most areas of the state had stopped. Heavy rainfall may take place in the next 24 hours in one or two places. The weather department has asked the fishermen to be cautious while venturing into the sea.