Bhubaneswar/Balasore: At least three people, including a fire services personnel, died and more than 5 lakh people were affected as the flood situation remained grim in north Odisha on Wednesday, officials said.

The state government was also preparing for a possible ‘medium flood’ in the Mahanadi river system following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas triggered by a deep depression.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is currently in Delhi, directed three ministers — Suryabanshi Suraj, Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia and K C Mohapatra — to monitor the flood situation on the ground.

Earlier, three senior IAS officers were sent to north Odisha to oversee flood management and relief operations.

By Wednesday evening, around 1,88,002 people had been evacuated and sheltered in 396 relief centres.

Floodwaters damaged more than 1,000 houses in the worst-hit districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, officials said.

“Keeping the flood situation in the state in view, I am continuously monitoring the situation. The three ministers have been instructed to expedite relief efforts while assessing the situation in affected areas. District magistrates have been directed to remain fully alert and ensure that assistance reaches every affected family,” Majhi said in a social media post.

He said the government stood with the people and urged citizens to cooperate with the local administration.

While north Odisha districts continued to battle floods, fresh concerns emerged over rising water levels in the Mahanadi river system following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

“Rains in the upper catchment areas of Mahanadi have raised concerns of a moderate flood in the river basin,” Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout told reporters.

Rout said the water level at the Hirakud reservoir was 617.91 feet at 6 pm on Wednesday against the full reservoir level of 630 feet.

“At present, floodwater is being discharged through two gates, and it will continue till the water level reaches 620 feet. We may have to open more gates if there is increased inflow from the upper catchment areas,” he said.

He said 5.87 lakh cusec water was flowing at Mundali near Cuttack at 6 pm and the discharge was likely to increase to around 9 lakh cusec by Thursday evening.

“Flow of over 8.5 lakh cusec water at Mundali is considered a medium flood in the Mahanadi river system. This could inundate several areas in the delta region,” Rout said, while ruling out the possibility of a major flood.

Meanwhile, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said all three deaths were reported from Keonjhar district.

A Fire Services personnel died of electrocution while on duty, an elderly man was killed after a wall collapsed and the body of a child was found floating in floodwaters, he said.

The chief minister also condoled the death of Fire Services personnel Chandan Pattnaik.

Director General of Fire Services Sudhansu Sarangi said Pattnaik died of electrocution while pumping out water from a waterlogged area.

He said Fire Services personnel rescued 212 people from marooned villages during the last 24 hours.

Six districts — Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur and Dhenkanal — have been severely affected by floods.

Several other districts, including Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati and Malkangiri, have also witnessed flooding following heavy rainfall triggered by the deep depression.

Multipurpose cyclone shelters, schools and anganwadi centres are being used to accommodate over 1.88 lakh evacuated people.

Floodwaters from the Budhabalanga and Jalaka rivers have submerged several villages in Balasore, while the Baitarani, Budha and Salandi rivers have inundated many areas in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts.

According to the Water Resources Department, all major rivers in the region are flowing above the danger mark.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Services have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

The state government has also deputed three senior IAS officers to Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur to supervise flood management and coordinate relief work.

Pujari said the government was closely monitoring the rising water level of the Mahanadi and had cancelled the leave of government employees in flood-affected districts.

Meanwhile, the IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over the districts of Nuapada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput on July 30.

This apart, the districts of Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Malkangiri also may witness heavy rainfall on Thursday, the weather office said.