BHUBANESWAR — A worsening flood situation across Odisha has claimed at least four lives and affected more than 2.03 lakh residents, prompting widespread emergency evacuations and the deployment of disaster response forces across six districts, state authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

All four reported fatalities occurred in Dhenkanal district. Nine livestock deaths have also been documented as swirling floodwaters continue to submerge low-lying areas, farmland, and critical infrastructure.

Balasore Bear-Down: Over 1 Lakh Hit in Single District

The latest State Flood Status Report reveals that Balasore is the hardest hit district, accounting for more than half of all affected citizens. Over 1.09 lakh people across 378 villages in 12 blocks are reeling from inundation.

Emergency responders have evacuated 19,080 individuals in Balasore alone, housing nearly 17,000 residents across 125 active relief shelters.

In neighboring Bhadrak district, flood conditions remain severe, with approximately 80,000 people affected across 220 villages and 5,330 residents relocated to safer ground. Jajpur reported around 11,000 affected residents across 75 villages, while Mayurbhanj recorded nearly 2,000 evacuations. Flooding impacts have also been registered in Sambalpur and Dhenkanal.


Across the state, official figures indicate:

  • 44 blocks, 233 gram panchayats, and 748 villages hit by floodwaters.

  • 226 villages completely marooned, cutting off land communication.

  • 27,967 total residents evacuated to 212 state-run emergency relief shelters.

  • 761 homes damaged and 7,901 hectares of farmland submerged, raising heavy concerns over widespread crop losses.

Massive Emergency Response & Relief Distribution

Multiple teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and state Fire Services have been deployed with powerboats to navigate flooded corridors and extract trapped families.

To prevent further risk to public safety, authorities in 11 districts declared a precautionary closure of all educational institutions on Wednesday. Special medical teams have been dispatched into inundation zones to prevent waterborne disease outbreaks and provide immediate trauma care.

Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari and Chief Secretary Anu Garg are closely monitoring water levels in major river basins and reviewing relief operations continuously.

State administration officials confirmed that essential supplies are being distributed in bulk to disaster shelters, including 5.7 quintals of rice, 102 quintals of flattened rice (chuda), 11 quintals of jaggery, over 54 metric tonnes of cattle feed, and 333 heavy-duty tarp sheets for temporary shelter construction.