The Subarnarekha river has surged above danger levels, inundating vast low‑lying areas in Baleshwar district and affecting nearly 45,000 people.
At Rajghat, the water level was recorded at 11.79 metres at 6 am Thursday, nearly 1.43 metres above the danger mark of 10.36 metres.
Floodwaters have submerged 20 panchayats in Bhograi block, cutting off more than 130 villages from the rest of the district. Embankments have been breached in several places, with water flowing over roads and into residential areas, leaving residents grappling with severe hardship.
The district administration has placed the region on high alert, deploying rescue and relief teams in the worst‑hit panchayats. Officials are monitoring the situation round the clock and have advised residents in vulnerable areas to shift to safer locations if water levels rise further.
The sharp rise in the Subarnarekha has been attributed to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Jharkhand, pushing large volumes of water downstream. Authorities fear that if rainfall continues, more areas in Baliapal and Bhograi blocks could be impacted in the coming days.
