Odisha steps up rescue-and-relief operations; four helicopters airdrop food packets in flood-hit Ganjam

Defence helicopters are airdropping food because flooding has isolated thousands of people in Ganjam for more than 24 hours. Roads, bridges and normal routes are damaged or submerged. Strong currents also made boat movement difficult earlier. Air delivery keeps essential supplies moving when ground access fails.

Four Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard helicopters are covering 21 identified locations. These include Hinjilicut, Aska, Bhanjanagar and Chikiti. Each drop can place food packets at a selected point. Officials stationed there then distribute the packets to stranded residents. The supplies contain as much as 4,500 kg of grains.

The operation is part of a larger response involving 313 rescue teams across Odisha. More than 100 are working in Ganjam and Gajapati. Other residents receive cooked food from rescue teams using boats. The helicopter drops matter because they provide a direct link to communities cut off by floodwater, while wider relief and rescue work continues.

An airdrop is the delivery of supplies from an aircraft to a selected location on the ground. In a flood, it can bypass damaged roads, washed-away bridges and submerged routes. This matters when people are stranded and ordinary rescue vehicles cannot reach them safely or quickly.

In Ganjam, helicopters drop food packets at 21 identified locations. Officials waiting at those sites collect the packets and distribute them among affected people. The packets carry as much as 4,500 kg of grains. The helicopters are from the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. This creates a direct supply route from the air to isolated communities.

Airdrops do not replace rescue camps, boats or ground teams. They support them when access is limited. More than 100 of Odisha's 313 rescue teams are working in Ganjam and Gajapati. Boats are also carrying cooked food, but strong currents had earlier made movement difficult.

The disaster is large because it combines extreme rainfall, widespread flooding and major access problems. Around 50,000 people were severely affected in Ganjam. More than 23,000 people were staying in relief camps, while the number marooned was considerably higher. Ganjam was the worst-affected district, with damage also reported in Gajapati and Kandhamal.

Patrapur block received 54 cm of rain in 24 hours. The Chief Secretary said Ganjam's rainfall during that period exceeded the area's annual average. Across Odisha, 313 rescue teams were deployed, including more than 100 in Ganjam and Gajapati. Four helicopters were dropping food at 21 locations, with supplies carrying as much as 4,500 kg of grains.

Forty trained NDRF and ODRAF personnel were assigned to reach affected areas with cooked food. Rescue teams were also using boats. The government had received no casualty report at the time, and a central team was due on November 2 to assess flood damage.

The flooding became severe because an exceptional burst of rain sent an enormous volume of water into the river system. Patrapur block received 54 cm in 24 hours, and Ganjam's rainfall during that period exceeded its annual average. The article links this rainfall to cyclone Arnab. Such a sudden load overwhelmed local drainage and river channels.

The Rushikulya River then overflowed across Ganjam. A 30-foot breach developed near Achhuli, allowing floodwater to spread beyond the river's normal course. A bridge near Patashala was washed away. Dasamaili village was submerged under nearly 10 feet of water, while around five feet flowed over the Tankachhai-Hinjilicut road.

The flooding cut roads, damaged bridges and entered Bhanjanagar town, Sanakhemundi and Purushottampur. Strong currents also prevented NDRF and ODRAF personnel from entering several areas. The combined effects explain why communities became marooned and why air and boat operations were needed.

Transport links are vital during a flood because they connect residents with food, rescue workers, medical help and relief camps. When water destroys roads and bridges, those connections fail. Communities can become isolated even when help is available nearby. Movement also becomes slower and more dangerous for rescuers.

In Ganjam, the Rushikulya River damaged bridges and washed away roads. A bridge near Patashala collapsed, and road connectivity between Aska, Berhampur and Sorada was disrupted. Around five feet of water covered the Tankachhai-Hinjilicut road. Dasamaili village was under nearly 10 feet of water, while several towns and residential areas were inundated.

These breaks forced authorities to use alternatives. Boats carried cooked food, although strong currents initially hindered them. Helicopters dropped food at inaccessible locations, where officials distributed it. Rescue teams also worked across the affected districts. The disruption shows why restoring access and maintaining air, boat and camp support are urgent priorities.

The operation divides responsibilities among air crews, rescue forces, boat teams and local administrators. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard provide helicopters for food drops and were requested to airlift stranded people. NDRF and ODRAF personnel enter affected areas, rescue people and help deliver cooked food. Together, they cover places ordinary vehicles cannot reach.

In Ganjam, four helicopters dropped food at 21 locations. Officials stationed at those sites collected and distributed the packets. Forty trained NDRF and ODRAF personnel were assigned to take cooked food to stranded people. Other rescue teams used boats to transport supplies, although strong currents had made movement difficult. Local officials managed distribution and relief operations.

The scale requires coordination. Odisha had deployed 313 rescue teams, with more than 100 in Ganjam and Gajapati. The Ganjam Collector said relief materials had been distributed since Thursday. The Chief Minister conducted an aerial assessment, while a central team was scheduled to assess damage on November 2.

A tropical cyclone is a large, rotating storm system that forms over warm tropical ocean water. It can draw in and transport vast amounts of moisture. When the storm moves near or over land, that moisture may fall as intense rain. The rain can affect inland districts, not only coastal areas, if storm bands travel far enough.

The article reports that cyclone Arnab triggered heavy rainfall in Odisha. Patrapur block in Ganjam received 54 cm in 24 hours. Several places in Ganjam and Gajapati also recorded unusually heavy rain. That water overwhelmed local channels and caused the Rushikulya River to overflow, while a 30-foot breach near Achhuli worsened the spread of floodwater.

The result was severe inland flooding, even though the response included areas away from the coast. Ganjam became the worst-affected district, with damage also in Gajapati and Kandhamal. The experience led to intensified rescue work, helicopter food drops and a planned central damage assessment.