Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in the Mahanadi basin turned more serious on Monday as the river received a massive volume of water released from the Hirakud reservoir, with the discharge at Mundali rising rapidly and several low-lying areas in the coastal Odisha districts facing inundation.
The Hirakud Dam authorities have opened 28 sluice gates — 19 on the left and nine on the right — to regulate the rising inflow into the reservoir following heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas. The reservoir was receiving nearly 5 lakh cusecs of inflow, while the outflow was around 4.4 lakh cusecs, according to the latest available reservoir data.
The water resources department had warned that nearly 7 lakh cusecs of water could reach Mundali by Sunday night and the flow could rise to around 8 lakh cusecs by Monday morning. Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said the department was closely monitoring the situation and making efforts to keep the flow at Mundali within 8 lakh cusecs.
The rising discharge has triggered a fresh flood alert in the Mahanadi delta. Low-lying areas of Cuttack, Khordha, Puri and Jagatsinghpur, besides parts of Kendrapada district, are vulnerable as floodwater enters the Mahanadi’s distributaries and tributaries. Rivers and channels including the Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Luna, Karandia, Chitrotpala, Devi, Daya, Bhargavi and Kushabhadra are also expected to witness rising water levels.
The situation is particularly worrying in parts of Banki and Tigiria in Cuttack district, where rising water has disrupted road communication.
According to local reports, nearly three feet of water is flowing over the Huluhula bridge near Ghodabar, on the northern side of Banki block. The inundation has reportedly cut off six gram panchayats in Banki and four in Tigiria from the outside world.
With the bridge submerged, movement between several habitations has been severely affected, forcing people with urgent requirements to negotiate stretches of floodwater. The situation could deteriorate further if the Mahanadi maintains its present discharge for an extended period.
The latest surge is being described as another flood wave in the Mahanadi system. Officials have been particularly watchful over Banki, Athagarh and Badamba, besides vulnerable pockets of the Mahanadi delta. The water resources department has deployed field engineers to monitor vulnerable embankments and critical structures, while night patrolling has also been intensified in vulnerable areas.
The current flood threat follows heavy rainfall in the upper catchment of the Mahanadi, particularly in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, which pushed up inflows into the Hirakud reservoir. The reservoir’s water level has remained close to its full-reservoir level of 630 feet, adding to the pressure on dam managers to regulate inflow and outflow.
The state government has already stepped up its flood preparedness. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the rain and flood situation and directed district administrations and concerned departments to ensure relief, rescue operations, drinking water and health services in affected areas.
The government has also maintained round-the-clock control rooms and kept rescue and relief resources ready in vulnerable districts.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has forecast no major rainfall over Odisha during the next few days, a factor that could help the floodwaters recede once the peak discharge passes downstream.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
