Residents wade through floodwaters in Balasore and (below) Berhampur. Telegraph picture and Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 16: North Odisha continued to reel from the impact of devastating floods, which claimed seven lives and affected more than 15 lakh people.

More than one lakh people were left marooned in four districts — Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak and Jajpur.

Though major rivers in the region — Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha, Salandi and Baitarini — were receding, they were flowing close to the danger mark, flooding vast stretches.

Revenue divisional commissioner (central) Arvind Padhee, who is co-ordinating relief and rescue operation from Balasore, said: “Things are improving as the rivers are receding. Still there are several patches surrounded by floodwater.”

In Balasore, nearly 50,000 people were marooned. The administration could not reach several villages in Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta, Baliapal, Sadar and Remuna blocks to deliver relief materials. “We are finding it difficult to reach people due to snapped up road link,” said an officer on emergency duty. Still 647 villages in the district remained flood affected.

Though floodwater receded from Baripada town, power and water supply could not be restored in several pockets of the town. Last evening, villagers put up a roadblock, protesting against delay in rescue operations.

Mayurbhanj district emergency officer Pallavi Nayak said: “Power has been restored in about 80 per cent of the affected areas of the town. We are sending water tankers to various parts of the town.”

“We have asked for 10 more doctors from outside, while five medicos from SCB hospital have already arrived,” said Padhee. Additional district magistrate of Balasore Akshay Mohanty said: “Sufficient number of halogen tablets, ORS packets and disinfectants have been dispatched to the flood-hit areas.”

In Bhadrak district, although the water level of the Baitarani river receded near Akhuapada, the flood situation has not improved. There has been improvement in Bhandaripokhari and Chandbali, but Tihidi block continues to be critical,” said district collector Laxminarayan Mishra, adding that about 30 villages were still marooned.

The floods have affected around two lakh people of 151 villages in Jajpur district.

Floodwater is receding in all the major rivers of the district, including the Baitarani and the Brahmani. Both were flowing just below the danger mark today evening.

“Overall flood situation has improved in the district,” said Jajpur collector Anil Kumar Samal.

The state government today said the affected families would be provided 25kg rice and Rs 300 in cash for dal as relief for seven days. According to a preliminary assessment, the district has incurred a loss of Rs 115 crore due to twin calamities of cyclone Phailin and the resultant floods.

The calamities have damaged 37,641 hectares of standing paddy crop and 4,763 hectares of vegetables crop in the district, official sources said.