The Odisha government on Sunday warned that a heavy flood is expected in the Subarnarekha basin affecting large areas in the northern parts of the state.

Many parts of coastal Odisha are still reeling under medium intensity floods in the Mahanadi river system. To cope with the emergency situation, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday empowered Balasore collector with the power of the special relief commissioner.

He will no longer require any clearance from the higher authorities while taking an administrative decision pertaining to rescue and relief operations in the district. Naveen has asked to position a chopper in the district headquarter Balasore as a stand-by to take up immediate rescue operations.

According to the warning, many parts of the Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts bordering Bengal would be affected by the floods. The areas in Balasore that are going to be hit by the flood include Basta. Bhograi, Jaleswar and few other pockets of Balasore district and areas like Raibania of Mayurbhanj district.

Even water started entering the low lying areas of Balasore.The Odisha government said heavy rain caused due to a deep depression in Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Jharkhand and the subsequent release of 6 lakh cusec water from the Galudih barrage (on Subarnarekha river) of Jharkhand has led to a high flood in the Subarnarekha basin.

“We are expecting a high flood in Balasore and Mayurbhanj owing to 6 lakh cusecs of water released from the Galudih barrage. Water is flowing four metres above danger mark at various points. It has touched 53.34 metres against the danger mark of 49.15 metre. We are expecting a high flood,” said special relief commissioner P.K. Jena.

He also warned that the impact of the flood will be severe compared to that in 2008.

“We are keeping a close watch on the development. We remain alert as the situation is going to worsen. However, we are hopeful that there will be no flood like situation in Budhabalanga, another major river of north Odisha. What has set the alarm bells ringing is that the region is expecting heavy to heavy rainfall on August 23 because of the impact of the depression. We have deployed nearly 40 units of the operational rescue teams comprising National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Odisha fire brigade teams in Balasore and Mayurbhanj district,” he said.

The Balasore district administration has launched a massive evacuation drive in the low-lying areas of Balasore district. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to wall collapse owing to the incessant rain across Odisha under the impact of deep depression across the state reached to six.