Bhubaneswar: Water levels in the Baitarani and Brahmani rivers rose following rainfall in their catchment areas, prompting the Odisha government to keep a close watch on the flood situation, Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said on Monday.
Rout said the water level of the Baitarani at Akhuapada stood at 18.15 metres on Monday morning against the danger level of 18.33 metres.
“The water level may rise further in the evening before receding. Yesterday, it had reached nearly 19 metres and subsequently declined. However, rainfall in the local catchment areas last night led to a fresh rise in the water level,” Rout said while speaking to reporters.
He said the situation was being closely monitored and the department was prepared to take necessary measures if the river level rose further.
On the Brahmani River, Rout said the water level at Jenapur was around 20.9 metres on Monday. The warning level there is 22 metres, while the danger level is 23 metres.
“The water level had been receding since yesterday, but rainfall in the local catchment areas caused it to rise again. However, it is not expected to increase significantly,” he said.
Rout said the department was regulating the flow of water through the Rengali dam to prevent flooding in downstream areas. At present, only one gate of the dam was being operated, he said.
“We are controlling the water discharge and taking all possible measures to prevent flooding in the downstream areas,” Rout said.
He said areas such as Kendrapada, Aul and Rajnagar could face waterlogging if the water level increased further, but the department was making efforts to minimise the impact.
“We will make every possible effort to minimise flooding and control the situation,” Rout said.
