People pass through flooded Markhandi bridge in Ganjam with essential commodities. Picture by Gopal Krishna Reddy

Berhampur/Balasore, Oct. 28: Receding water levels in rivers and a hint of sunshine have brought relief to residents of Ganjam and Balasore districts.

Berhampur today received only 23mm rain and the Ganjam district administration said the death toll in the successive natural calamities now stood at 17. The number of people affected is 25.5 lakh, including 22 lakh only by floods and torrential rain.

As many as 4,380 concrete houses have been severely damaged and the number of fully damaged non-concrete ones stands at 87,634. The cyclone has damaged crops over 2.9 lakh hectares, while the rain and floods have played havoc over 51,566 hectares in Ganjam, said official sources.

All block development officers of the district have been instructed to provide cooked food to the victims till October 29.

Some residents of Markandi at Rangeilunda block in Ganjam, however, slammed the government for it alleged apathy. “Some NGOs are supplying food to us. Though I received the 50kg rice packet and Rs 500 after the cyclone, those have been exhausted,” said local resident Raja Rao.

Yesterday, police seized seven quintals of rice meant for relief being transported in an auto trolley and arrested three persons.

Life in northern Balasore continues to be a struggle even as floodwater has begun to recede. But, the Subarnarekha and Jalka rivers, which pass through Jaleswar, Bhograi, Baliapal and Basta blocks, were still flowing above the danger level this afternoon.

The appearance of the sun after two weeks today lifted the spirits. “The water level of Subarnarekha is receding. By tonight, it is expected to go below the danger mark,” said Jaleswar tehsildar Rajanikanta Biswal.

Several villages are still inundated. The road connecting Basta with Baliapal remains cut off. The connectivity between Jaleswar and Chandaneswar, and Kamarda and Uluda has also been hit.

Of the district’s 32 gram panchayats, 14 have been affected. The estimated loss and damage in the district is around Rs 522 crore. This report was presented before a central team, which visited Balasore to take stock of the situation. “The first phase relief distribution is on and we will speed things up as the weather improves,” said district emergency officer Padmanabh Dora.