Bhubaneswar: Five districts in Odisha have been put on high alert following an alarming rise in the water levels in the Mahanadi river. The districts where a red alert has been issued include Cuttack, Khurdha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapada.
Thousands of people have already been marooned across Odisha as the Mahanadi river basin flooded on Friday due to incessant rain in the upper catchment areas during the last few days.
Since last night, the water levels in the Mahanadi and its tributaries have risen rapidly inundating many villages in Banki and Athagarh. Water logging has been reported from several areas in Nayagarh, Boudh, and Sonepur. It is feared that the floodwater may inundate many more low-lying villages in Puri, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur.
Several acres of paddy fields have been submerged under flood water in nine gram panchayats of Banki and Tigiria blocks. In Nayagarh district, many roads and culverts are now underwater disrupting communication.
Meanwhile, authorities have been put on high alert and patrolling is underway along the embankments of the river. Hundreds of people residing in low-level areas are being relocated to safer places. The Water Resource Department has deployed eight senior officers to monitor the situation closely. In addition, 106 teams across 16 districts have been deployed for rescue and flood relief operations.
