Floods hit Orissa's tourism capital, Puri
DN Singh

Bhubaneswar, Sept 23: The ongoing flood fury in Orissa has now engulfed the state's tourism capital, Puri. The district has been hit hard by the floods, triggered by breaches caused by Daya and Bhargavu river, the twin tributaries of Mahanadi.

Two large breaches one near Hirapur and the other close to Pipli town unleashed the real plunder as more than 26 Gram Panchayats remain affected by the watery onslaught, out of which 10 blocks have been severely affected. At present, more than 3 lakh people remain marooned.

Considered to be the gateway of Puri, the Pipli block has never suffered the menace of floods in such magnitude in the past 25 years. Thousands of panic-stricken people from the villages are rushing towards the towns as many more remain trapped in the marooned villages. For the administration, the communication has become a major bottleneck because the current of the gushing water after the opening of the breaches have made it more trying and the limited boats at the disposal of the administration do not suffice the requirements.