Bhubaneswar: Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Thursday conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected and waterlogged areas in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Baleshwar and Kendujhar districts to assess the extent of damage and review the ongoing rescue and relief operations.

The minister undertook the inspection in a helicopter along with Revenue and Disaster Management Department Additional Chief Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.

Before embarking on the aerial survey, Pujari chaired a review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan with district collectors and senior officials overseeing flood management across the state. The meeting focused on the prevailing flood situation, rescue operations, relief measures and restoration efforts in the affected districts.

The visit comes as the Odisha government has directed collectors of flood-hit districts to submit detailed damage assessment reports within three days to facilitate compensation for affected families.

Revenue and Disaster Management Additional Chief Secretary Arabinda Kumar Padhee said the reports should include details of crop losses, damaged houses and other losses caused by the floods. Compensation will be released after the government verifies the assessment reports submitted by district administrations.

According to the latest flood status report issued on July 30, floods have affected five districts—Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar.

The floods have impacted 50 blocks, 356 gram panchayats, 1,084 villages, 11 urban local bodies (ULBs) and 169 wards, affecting a total of 5,87,822 people.

As many as 1,76,073 people have been evacuated to safer places, while 21 villages remain marooned, including 17 in Balasore and four in Kendujhar.

The floods have damaged 16,187 hectares of agricultural land, with Jajpur reporting the highest crop loss at 11,497 hectares, followed by Mayurbhanj (3,754 hectares) and Kendujhar (936 hectares).

A total of 1,020 houses have also been damaged, including 654 in Balasore, 278 in Mayurbhanj and 88 in Kendujhar.

To support affected residents, the state government has opened 464 relief camps across the flood-hit districts, including 165 in Balasore, 234 in Bhadrak, 47 in Jajpur, 14 in Mayurbhanj and four in Kendujhar.

The Odisha government said it is closely monitoring the flood situation and has instructed district administrations to continue rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts while ensuring timely damage assessment so that compensation reaches affected families without delay.