Bhubaneswar: Around 42,500 people have been affected by floods in Odisha's Ganjam district following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone 'Arnab', Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.

According to the minister, floods have affected 208 gram panchayats across 22 blocks in the district. In urban areas, 56 wards across 18 urban local bodies have also been affected.

As many as 22 villages remain marooned. Efforts are underway to evacuate stranded people using helicopters. However, heavy cloud cover has delayed the deployment of helicopters, Pujari said.

The state government has increased the deployment of emergency response teams in view of the worsening situation. At present, 52 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, five National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 45 fire service teams have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

To facilitate the evacuation of people stranded in flood-hit areas, 16 government boats and 25 privately owned boats have been pressed into service, the minister said.