New Delhi: Responding to an SOS from the state government, the Army and Air Force on August 31 launched a massive rescue and rehabilitation operation in the flood-affected areas of Orissa, sending special boats and teams to evacuate the marooned populace.

Around 28 lakh people in 14 districts of the state are reeling under the havoc of floods and nine deaths have been reported so far.

An Army spokesperson said four Army columns had been rushed to the state along with rescue boats, divers, medicines and ration packets. The columns comprised specialised engineering units as well as medical teams.

The Air Force has started flying sorties of AN-32 transport aircraft to drop rations and medicines to give succour to the marooned people. Army as well as Air Force helicopters are conducting rescue operations in some of the worst-affected areas.

With over 13.5 lakh cusecs of water gushing through the Naraj delta head, the water level in the Mahanadi and its branches criss-crossing coastal plains rose alarmingly causing at least two big breaches in Cuttack and Kendrapara districts.

The swirling Chitrotpala opened a 40 metre wide breach on its embankment near Palada in Kendrapada district while another occurred at Gobardhanpur on the Mahanadi in Athagarh subdivision of Cuttack.

The breaches inundated large areas, while distress conditions developed at 10 places on the embankments of the Debi, Kathajodi, Bhargabi and Chitrotpala rivers.

PTI