Three Hours Above the Flood: Farmer Clings to Tree as Waters Rise in Odisha

For nearly three hours, a tree was the only refuge for a farmer who was surrounded by the floodwaters rising in Odisha’s Sundargarh district.

The farmer was stranded atop the tree after a sudden surge of water swept into an agricultural field near Bijadihi under Bonaigarh police limits on Sunday, leaving him trapped amid the inundated fields.

According to sources, a group of farmers had gone to their fields near Bijadihi to harvest pointed gourd when floodwater suddenly entered the area. Caught off guard by the rapidly rising water, one of them was unable to reach higher ground and climbed a tree to stay above the swirling waters.

For nearly three hours, he remained perched on the tree as the surrounding area stayed submerged. His fellow farmers and local residents eventually sought help after failing to bring him to safety themselves.

A Fire Services team reached the spot and launched a rescue operation. The farmer was safely brought out of the flooded area and later taken to Gurundia hospital for medical attention.

The dramatic rescue came amid heavy rainfall in several parts of Odisha, with rising water levels posing a growing risk to people living or working in low-lying areas.

The incident comes days after two separate cases of youths being swept away while bathing were reported from Keonjhar and Jagatsinghpur districts on July 31.

In Champua in Keonjhar, two youths were swept away by a strong current in the main canal of the Kanpur Dam while bathing. One was carried away first, while the other was swept away when he attempted to rescue him. Both eventually managed to cling to separate trees inside the canal, helping them stay above the water until rescue efforts were undertaken.