Bhubaneswar, July 29: Breaches caused to river embankments at three places in Jajpur and Balasore districts have marooned a large number of people.

People living in vulnerable pockets of the districts have been evacuated in view of the flood threat.

Three persons, including a minor girl, have been reported missing after they were swept away by swirling waters in the two districts.

The state government has rushed Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams to Balasore as water level in the Surbarnarekha and the Jalaka was rising and flowing above danger mark.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today directed officials to keep a close watch on the flood situation in Baliapal, Bhograi and Basta areas of Balasore district, which were likely to be affected by floods in the Subarnarekha.

Secretary, water resources, P.K. Jena said work was going on in a war footing to plug the breaches. Steps had been initiated to prevent inundation of Jajpur town.

In another development, the state government had decided to defer the release of water from Rengali dam by a day in view of the flood situation in Baitarni river.

Information available with the State Emergency Operation Centre revealed while the water level in the Subarnarekha and the Jalaka was rising, Budhabalang remained steady and Baitarini showed a falling trend.

Special relief commissioner G.V.V. Sharma said one unit of the National Disaster Rapid Action Force (NDRAF) and ODRAF had been deployed in Balasore district for search and rescue operation, while another unit was being moved in. One ODRAF unit each has been stationed in Jajpur and Keonjhar districts, while another unit is in Cuttack.

Reports from Jajpur said Baitarani and its tributary Kani had breached embankments at two places. A minor girl of Panasa village under Jajpur block in the district was swept away by floodwater of the Baitarani. The ODRAF team has launched a search operation to trace the missing girl.

Floodwaters entered 10 villages of Jajpur and Korei blocks in the district following a 20-metre breach in Baitarani's right embankment at Ganeswarpur under Malahata gram panchayat.

Besides, floodwaters have also entered four villages of Kasapa panchayat of Dasarathapur block in the district following a 15-metre breach in the Kani embankment at Chhatrapada.

"In three blocks of the district, floodwaters of Baitarani and Kani have marooned over 6,000 people in 14 villages," said district emergency officer Namita Barik.

In Balasore district, two persons - Darasing Sahu, 42, of Panchurukhi and his distant nephew Kabila Sahu, 18, of Churmara village - were reportedly swept away by Subarnarekha floodwater.

In the neighbouring district Mayurbhanj district's Baripada, around 3,000 marooned people have taken shelter in different schools .

In Baripada, residents of the town's three wards have been evacuated by the district administration last night after floodwaters of Budhabalanga gushed in. Similarly, in Saraskona block about 1,500 people were evacuated and lodged in schools since last night, said district emergency officer Kailash Nayak.

In Bhadrak district, more than one lakh people in at least 15 gram panchayats of Bhandaripokhari and Dhamnagar blocks have been affected by floods in the Baitarini and its tributaries.