Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday ruled out flood threat in the Mahanadi and the Baitarani with floodwater receding in these rivers.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said there has been a marked decrease in the volume of floodwater discharged through Mundali barrage in Cuttack district.
“While about 6.9 lakh cusecs water per second was being discharged from the barrage by 9.30 pm on Monday, it had come down to 4,47,600 cusecs per second by 9 am on Tuesday,” he said.
The floodwater of the Hirakud Dam, released around 12 am on Tuesday, would take at least 36-30 hours to reach Mundali and by then the water level at the barrage would have subsided further, he added.
“Apart from this, nil rainfall in almost all districts in the last 24 hours has immensely contributed to the drastic fall in the water level of all major rivers, including the Mahanadi and the Baitarani. Keeping this in view, we don’t foresee a flood in the state as of now,” he added.
Sources in the SRC office said the water level of Mahanadi in the upper and catchments was 86.70 feet and 84.30 feet respectively. The discharge of floodwater at Naraj was 3,36,644 cusecs per second. The water level in the upper and downstream of the barrage was 25 feet and 23.55 feet respectively.
At Khairmal and Baramul barrages, the discharge of Mahanadi floodwater was 1,74,000 and 2,52,000 cusecs per second.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended a high-level review meeting on the flood situation in 20 riverside districts of Mahanadi, with senior officials at Sambalpur on Tuesday.
Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, he said the 10 collectors have been instructed to remain alert and take all necessary steps for rescue and relief operations.
Besides updating the government on the prevailing situation every hour, the departments concerned have been asked to assess the damages in the 10 districts due to incessant rainfall and repair those in 24 hours, the Chief Minister added.
Following incessant rain in the three days, people of Manipur village of Bhapur block in Nayagarh district have been marooned with rainwater overflowing at a height of 5 feet on the road. Villagers could be seen crossing over to the opposite side of the road in country boats.
Similarly, People of 15 villages residing in two panchayats of Athgarh and Uttarbanki blocks in Cuttack districts are also in a state of panic due to the flood threat. Floodwater of the Mahanadi has submerged hundreds of acres of paddy fields in these areas.
Cuttack collector Susant Mohapatra said the district administration was taking all precautionary measures. “Adequate food materials and medicines have been stocked at the block headquarters and these will be distributed among the people in the low-lying areas,” he added.
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