Bhubaneswar: A high flood situation is likely in the Subarnarekha River late Wednesday, as the water level is expected to rise to around 11.84 metres, nearly 1.5 metres above the danger mark, following heavy rainfall in Mayurbhanj and the upper catchment areas of Jharkhand, a senior Water Resources Department official said.
The water level in the Subarnarekha had risen to around 11.60 metres by 1 pm on Wednesday, against the danger level of 10.36 metres. Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said the river was likely to rise further and could reach around 11.84 metres by 9 pm.
According to Rout, the situation has been triggered by heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, particularly in Jharkhand, as well as significant rainfall in Mayurbhanj district on August 31 and September 1.
“Mayurbhanj received heavy rainfall, with around 300 mm recorded in some areas, including Betnoti. There was also heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Jharkhand,” Rout said.
The department has been closely monitoring the inflow into the Subarnarekha, as well as water releases from the Galudih Barrage in Jharkhand.
Rout said the maximum discharge from the barrage this time was around 5,146 cubic metres per second (cumecs) at about 8 pm on September 1. During the previous flood situation, the discharge had reached around 6,600 cumecs.
According to the department’s assessment, water released from the barrage takes nearly 24 hours to reach downstream areas, while another 12 hours may be required for the water to move further downstream.
The rising river level has put four blocks in Baleshwar district—Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta and Baliapal—at risk of waterlogging. The Water Resources Department is monitoring the situation in these areas and assessing the impact of further inflows from the upper catchment.
Rout also said the Subarnarekha’s water level could remain above the danger mark until Thursday evening before gradually receding. However, further water releases from the upper catchment areas could influence the situation.
Meanwhile, Rout said there was no flood situation in any of the other major rivers of the state at present.
