Over 1.5 lakh residents across eight blocks in Odisha’s southern coastal district of Ganjam remain marooned as severe flooding—triggered by relentless torrential rainfall from Cyclone Arnab—submerged towns, cut off highway connections, and caused major river breaches.
As rivers across southern Odisha surged past danger levels on Friday, October 30, 2026, floodwaters inundated nearly half the district, making this the worst flooding event to strike Ganjam since Cyclone Phailin in 2013 and Cyclone Titli in 2018.
Rushikulya River Breaches; Key Towns Inundated
A major breach in the embankment of the Rushikulya River at Purusottampur allowed floodwaters to surge into surrounding agricultural fields and residential colonies. Key urban centers and municipal blocks—including Asika, Sheragada, Sorada, Dharakote, Bhanjanagar, Bellaguntha, Patrapur, and Chikiti—have been completely isolated due to submerged roads.
- Severe Inundation in Asika: Floodwaters exceeding six feet entered the ground floors of homes and commercial establishments across Asika town, forcing residents to take shelter on upper floors.
- Rivers in Spate: The Rushikulya, Bahuda, Ghodahada, Loharakhandi, Jarau, Padma, and Badanadi rivers are all flowing above safety thresholds, placing immense pressure on the Baghalati, Baghua, and Daha dam reservoirs.
- Border Blocks Affected: Bordering blocks including Sanakhemundi, Chikiti, Patrapur, Ganjam, Khallikote, and Chhatrapur report extensive waterlogging and agricultural damage.
Rescue Operations and Government Response
Emergency response personnel, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and Fire Services, have evacuated approximately 16,000 residents to safer shelter locations. However, strong water currents continue to impede boat-based rescue missions in deeply flooded pockets.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected zones in Ganjam and neighboring Gajapati districts on Friday to evaluate damage and coordinate relief deployment.
