Flood Scare Grips Odisha With Swollen Rivers, Incessant Rains & Depression Along The Coast

Bhubaneswar: With heavy rains lashing Odisha over the last five days, all major rivers are swollen and a flood threat remains imminent.

As many as 34 gates of the Hirakud Dam reservoir have been opened to release water into river Mahanadi which is swollen with heavy rains in the upper catchment areas in Chhattisgarh. And incessant downpours downstream worsen the situation.

Till 9 am today morning, the outflow of water at Hirakud reservoir was 5.60 lakh cusec through 34 gates while 5.79 lakh cusec water was entering into the dam from the upper catchment.

The discharge in Mahanadi basin at Khairmal was 9.48 lakh cusec, at Barmul 6.74 lakh cusec and 5.59 lakh cusec at Munduli, as per data recorded at 9 am on Sunday morning.

The water level of Mahanadi at Naraj remained 25.52 feet (and rising), with the danger level marked at 25.31 feet. The water level at Baitarani was 18.06 feet at Akhuapada while the danger level is 17.83 feet.

Similarly, the Vansadhara and Jalaka rivers are flowing well above the danger level in Kashinagar and Mathani areas respectively. Similarly, the water level at Subernarekha is rising with an imminent flood threat in some parts of Balasore district.