Thousands displaced by floods in Indian Orissa

More than a million people have been displaced and at least 16 people have died in floods in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, officials say. Some 2,600 villages across 19 districts have been submerged after heavy monsoon rains, the BBC reported Monday. Several rivers, including Mahanadi, are overflowing and flood waters have snapped several key road links. At least 61,000 people have been evacuated to safer places and relief and rescue operations have begun. Officials said road links at several places in Puri, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Sambalpur, Boudh and Sonepur districts have been affected. A navy ship from Vishakhapatnam with a helicopter and relief material is set to join the operation, Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said. He said a second helicopter was on the standby to airdrop food and other essentials. Some areas had been cut off due to breaches in river banks and embankments and helicopters were the only way to reach food and water to people stranded there, Mohapatra said. Nearly 1,400 boats were also being used for relief and rescue. Officials said the situation was expected to get better soon as rains had stopped and the water level in Mahanadi and other rivers had begun to recede.