In Odisha, relief and rescue operations have been affected due to incessant rain in most of the flood-affected areas. The low pressure formed over north-west Bay of Bengal is likely to bring more woes to about 25 lakh flood-hit people as the Bhubaneswar Meterological centre has predicted heavy rain in the next 24 hours. Relief and rescue operation by four helicopters of Indian Navy and Indian Air Force had to be suspended today following bad weather and poor visibility. However, air-dropping of dry foods in the marooned areas of Kendrapada, Puri, Jagatisinghpur, Cuttack, Boudh and Nayagarh districts continued in the afternoon as the weather condition improved. A large number flood-hit people are still starving in inaccessible and cut-off areas as releif materials are yet to reach them. The affected-people have taken shelter over river embankments or over roof-top and helplessly living under the open sky.According to reports received from Odisha Government, 22 persons have lost their lives in the devastating flood. Twelve more persons are reported to have been swept away or drowned in flood waters, their bodies are yet to be traced. Meanwhile, water has started receeding in almost all the major rivers of Odisha. A large number of villages have become inaccessible as flood water has done excessive damage to road communication. As many as 4,006 villages and 15 cities have been badly affected in the current flood in 19 of the 30 districts in the state. Reports of damage of 30,000 houses have so far been received from 11 districts . The state government has requested the Centre to send an inter-ministerial team to Odisha to assess the loss due to flood.