Floods leave 50,000 affected in Odisha, rescue efforts intensified

BHUBANESWAR, Oct 30: The Odisha government on Friday intensified relief and rescue operations and prepared to air-drop food packets in flood-hit Ganjam and Gajapati districts, where thousands of people have been marooned for over 24 hours due to floods triggered by incessant rain during cyclone Arnab, officials said.

Chief Minister Mohan CharanMajhi, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, expressed concern over the unexpectedly heavy rainfall in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

"As part of the preparedness for cyclone Arnab, the administration was expecting that the calamity could have a major impact in Malkangiri. However, nobody could imagine that such heavy rainfall could occur in Ganjam district and cause severe floods," Majhi said at a meeting here earlier in the day.�" HT