Bhubaneswar: Even as the impact of the low-pressure system has weakened over the past 24 hours, the Baitarani river is likely to witness a flood situation, while water levels in Odisha’s other major rivers remain under control, Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said on Monday.
Addressing reporters, Rout said the Baitarani is the only major river currently facing a flood threat due to heavy rainfall triggered by the recent low-pressure system. However, he ruled out any immediate flood risk in the Mahanadi and Brahmani river systems, stating that water levels in both rivers are being closely monitored and effectively managed.
“The Brahmani river had only touched the danger level, and the water level is now expected to recede. There is no flood situation in the river,” he said.
To manage the rising inflow into the Hirakud reservoir, the Water Resources Department opened five additional gates of the Hirakud Dam on Monday.
He said the situation in the Baitarani basin was different because the river does not have any major dam or flood-control infrastructure to regulate its flow during periods of intense rainfall.
“The recent low-pressure-induced rainfall has led to a rise in the river’s water level. Since there is no storage structure on the Baitarani, we cannot control the floodwaters like we do in the Mahanadi basin,” the Engineer-in-Chief said.
Rout said the department was continuously monitoring river levels across the state and coordinating with district administrations to deal with any emerging situation.
He expressed hope that the flood situation would gradually improve if there was no further rainfall over the next few days.
“If there is no rain till August 21, the water level in the Baitarani is expected to recede within four to five days,” he added.
