Several villages in the low-lying areas of north Odisha were inundated with floodwater though the swelling rivers started receding on Sunday.

Paddy crop is facing a threat of survival as farmlands are still submerged under floodwater.

The effect of the floods was experienced across most of the blocks in Balasore district as rivers Budhablanga, Jalka, Sono, Gangahar and Kansabansa swelled and were flowing above the danger level.

Besides Basta and Baliapal blocks, the effect of flood was seen in the riverside villages of Balasore Sadar, Remuna, Nilgiri, Bahanaga, Khantapara, Soro, Khaira and Oupada blocks. Road communication between Basta-Baliapal and Soro-Talanagar continue to be disrupted even on Sunday as floodwater was seen flowing on the roads.

District emergency officer Kamlakanta Panda said senior officers of respective blocks were deployed since water was flowing on the road in two places of the district — including a place near Pejagola on Baliapal Road and at Talanagar of Soro.

“Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (Odraf)and fire brigade were deployed near the patch where water was flowing on the road,” said Panda .

“Around 750 people from the low-lying areas were evacuated to safer places and given free cooked and dry food. They began to return home after water level started receding,” he said. Balasore sub-collector Nilu Mohapatra said: “Although the water level of the rivers was receding, a large swathe of agricultural land is still underwater. An assessment of the damage has begun.”

In neighbouring Mayurbhanj, the rivers Ganagahar, Sono and Budhabalanga wrecked havoc in Badasahi, Baisinga and Betnati blocks, while road communication between Udla and Baripada was disrupted.

“As floodwater flew over roads near Patalipula and Manitri, road communication was disrupted. But, road communication was restored after the water receded. Around 1,200 affected people of Badasahi, GM Nagar and Udla were relocated to various relief centres and given free food,” said Mayurbhanj district emergency officer Sujay Kumar Patra.

In Bhadrak, the situation witnessed an improvement as the rivers Salandi and Baitarni began to recede, said an officer of the district adding that low-lying areas were still inundated.