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Relief workers struggle to reach flood-hit

Threat of a diarrhoea epidemic loomed large as relief workers struggled to reach the flood-hit people in Orissa's Kendrapara and Jajpur districts, official sources said.

The sources said the situation in the coastal plains was slowly improving but the administration's biggest worry was the threat of epidemic.

The death toll in the calamity, caused by heavy rains and floods, which came in waves in the Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers, had been put at 89.

Reports of 7,408 cases of diarrhoea attacks had been received from all over the state, 18 of which had so far proved fatal.

In fact, there had been a report of outbreak of diarrhoea in a village under Kujang block in Jagatsinghpur district following which 24 people had been hospitalised, Health Secretary Meena Gupta said.

So far 100 doctors and 62 paramedics had been sent to the affected districts along with medicines to combat the spread of water-borne diseases, she said.

Official sources added the situation continued to be grim in Jajpur and Kendrapara districts where over 13 lakh people have been affected.

Rescue and relief operations were continuing by the army personnel, relief workers and volunteers with the boats turning out to be the only mode of transport.

Chief Secretary D P Bagchi, at a briefing on Thursday evening said the state government would submit a detailed report to the Centre about the devastation caused by the heavy rains and floods over the three weeks.

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