Bhubaneswar, Jul 30 (PTI) Odisha remained on high alert on Thursday as the flood situation remained grim in four northern districts, while authorities braced for a ‘medium flood’ in the Mahanadi river system across the densely populated coastal belt, officials said.
Water Resources Department engineer-in-chief Dillip Kumar Rout said the next 36 hours from Thursday night would be crucial as the Mahanadi was expected to witness peak flood discharge.
“We are expecting a flow of 9 lakh to 9.5 lakh cusecs at Mundali near Cuttack. The next 36 hours starting Thursday night are very crucial as the peak flood will be witnessed in the Mahanadi. This is the highest volume of water expected to flow through the river during this monsoon,” Rout told reporters.
According to Rout, flow of more than 8 lakh cusecs is considered a medium flood in the Mahanadi river system.
He said experts had been deployed in vulnerable areas to protect embankments along the Mahanadi and its tributaries in Khurda, Puri, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts.
Rout, however, said the Mundali barrage had handled discharges of 10 lakh to 12 lakh cusecs in the past.
With the discharge at Mundali expected to cross 9 lakh cusecs by Thursday evening, floodwaters are likely to spread across the Mahanadi and its tributaries, including the Luna, Karandia, Chitrotpala, Paika, Salia, Devi, Kandala, Kuakhai, Kushabhadra, Daya and Bhargavi rivers, officials said.
“The priority is to ensure there is no breach in embankments and zero human casualties. Waterlogging in low-lying areas remains a concern. Experienced officials who have handled flood emergencies in the past have been deployed in vulnerable districts,” Rout said.
He cautioned that the peak flood could inundate low-lying areas and damage crops, roads, bridges and houses in some pockets.
“Now that the situation is stabilising in the north Odisha rivers, our focus is on the Mahanadi river system, which has a large number of tributaries,” he said, adding that surveillance of embankments, evacuation preparedness and relief arrangements had been intensified.
Officials said the flood situation in the Mahanadi had been aggravated as rainwater from the Tel, Ib and Jira rivers continued to add to its flow.
The water level at the Hirakud Dam stood at 620 feet against its full reservoir level of 630 feet. The reservoir was receiving an inflow of 3,31,063 cusecs, while 64,109 cusecs were being released downstream through two gates. Officials said additional gates might have to be opened if the water level continued to rise.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Pati placed collectors of districts in the Mahanadi delta region on high alert and cancelled the leave of government employees in the area.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, who along with senior officials undertook an aerial survey of the flood-hit northern districts, said there was some positive news as rainfall had eased across Odisha and in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
He said the discharge of floodwater into the sea had slowed due to tidal conditions associated with the full moon, but expressed hope that the river would carry the floodwaters without causing major damage to human habitations.
He said the administration is on high alert, and leaves of all officials in the flood-affected districts have been cancelled.
Floods triggered by incessant rain under the influence of a deep depression inundated several villages in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts.
According to preliminary reports, the floods have affected nearly six lakh people and damaged 1,352 houses.
Officials have been directed to complete damage assessment immediately to facilitate prompt relief.
Keeping in view the IMD’s rainfall forecast and the flood situation, authorities ordered the closure of schools and anganwadi centres in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi districts.
Rescue operations were intensified, with more than 1.76 lakh people evacuated to safer places. As many as 476 relief centres have been opened to provide shelter, food and drinking water to the affected people, officials said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is in Delhi, said in a social media post on Wednesday night that he had directed all district collectors to remain on high alert and ensure timely assistance to affected people.
“I appeal to all not to panic over the flood situation. The safety and security of citizens is the priority of the state government,” the chief minister said.
Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Director Manorama Mohanty said rainfall intensity was likely to decrease across the state on Thursday, though light rain accompanied by thunderstorms was expected in several. PTI AAM AAM MNB
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