Bhubaneswar, Sept 21 : Relief work has been speeded up in Orissa, which is facing floods by one of India''s largest rivers killing 16 people and forcing evacuation of some 200,000 at the weekend.

Large parts of the coastal Orissa were inundated after authorities were forced to open dozens of sluice gates of a dam on the Mahanadi River following heavy rain in the catchment’s area.

Flood victims said though they have been saved from drowning, but all their belongings and wealth were destroyed.

New Delhi - At least 21.8 million people have been affected by floods brought on by incessant rains in 16 states across India during the current monsoon season, a federal government release said Sunday.

A total of 2,229 people have died in rain-related incidents, the federal Disaster Management Department release said. Officials said most of the deaths were cases of drowning or caused by landslides, house collapses and water-borne diseases.

New Delhi - Thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Orissa state's coastal districts Saturday as the Mahanadi river breached its embankments after days of incessant rain, officials and news reports said.

The floodwaters submerged hundreds of villages and claimed seven lives, an official of the flood-control room in the state capital Bhubaneshwar said.

"We have received reports that more than 26,000 people have been evacuated in the coastal district of Kendrapada alone as floodwaters have breached embankments in several places," S Das said.

Bhubaneswar, Sept 20: In Orissa, thousands of people were affected by severe floods as seven breaches occured along the Mahanadi embankments which swept away many villages.

Over 15 lakh people have been hit by the current floods in Mahanadi river system. More than 500 villages remained marooned in Nayagad, Cuttack, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur District for the last three days.

Bhubaneswar, Sept 19 : The death toll in the current rain and flood has gone up to twelve in Orissa.

Three children were washed away in Tel river in Subarnapur district.

According to the state Disaster Management department, the water level in Mahanadi river system is steadily rising though rainfall has stopped in upper and lower catchments.

Evacuation operation has been launched on a big scale to shift the residents of low-lying areas to safer places.

As many as 26 gates of the Hirakud dam on Mahanadi have been opened for quick discharge of water as the level in the reservoir reached its full capacity of 630 feet, official sources said.

Surendranagar (Gujarat) /Sambhalpur (Orissa), Sept 18 : With no appreciable improvement in weather, flash floods caused due to incessant heavy rains continue to stall life in various parts of India.

People in Surendranagar District in Gujarat are grappling with the flood situation as many areas are under knee-deep water.

The region has received heavy rainfall in last 24 hours and many places have turned into virtual islands making movement difficult in the region.