Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Water Resources Department on Tuesday ruled out any negligence or lapses in dam management during the recent floods in Ganjam district, attributing the severe flooding in the Rushikulya river to exceptionally heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone ‘Arnab’.
Addressing a press conference, Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department Dillip Kumar Rout said the department had taken all necessary measures to manage the flood situation and that its officials and employees had discharged their duties responsibly.
He said the rainfall pattern during the cyclone was unusual, with areas far from the landfall location, particularly Ganjam and Kandhamala districts, receiving significantly more rainfall than those closer to the landfall point.
“Normally, areas around a cyclone’s landfall location receive heavy rainfall. However, this time, an unusual pattern was observed, with distant districts such as Ganjam and Kandhamala receiving more rainfall,” Rout said.
The exceptionally heavy rainfall led to a substantial inflow of water into dams and reservoirs in Ganjam district, resulting in a rise in the water level of the Rushikulya river and subsequent flooding, he said.
Rout said around 338 mm of rainfall was recorded in the region over three days during Cyclone Arnab, making it an exceptionally heavy spell of rain compared with previous instances.
Rejecting allegations of negligence in dam operations, the Engineer-in-Chief said the department had made every possible effort to manage the flood situation.
“There was no negligence in dam management. All employees and officials of the department remained on duty round the clock and discharged their responsibilities sincerely,” he said.
He further said the department was now focusing on expediting repair and restoration work in the flood-affected areas.
“We are making every possible effort to ensure that the necessary repair work is undertaken at the earliest,” Rout added.
The department maintained that exceptionally heavy rainfall and the resulting increase in water inflow were the primary reasons behind the severe flooding in Ganjam district.
