Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in Odisha has shown significant improvement with water levels in the Mahanadi river system steadily receding and repair work on damaged embankments gathering pace, Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief (EIC) Dillip Rout said on Monday.
Briefing reporters, Rout said there has been no rainfall in either the upper or lower catchments of the Mahanadi, leading to a decline in flood intensity across the state. The water level at the Hirakud Dam stood at 620.77 feet on Monday, and will drop down to 618 feet by Tuesday and further to 615 feet by Wednesday.
At present, around 3.03 lakh cusecs of water is being released from the Hirakud reservoir, while the flow at Mundali has reduced to 5.82 lakh cusecs. He said the discharge is expected to decline further over the coming days.
Rout said the immediate priority of the department is to close breaches caused by the recent floods. Restoration work on embankments along the Brahmani and Baitarani rivers began on Sunday and has been extended to other affected locations.
While the current flood situation is improving, the state administration continues to monitor weather developments closely. Rout said some international weather models have indicated the possibility of rainfall after August 5, although the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not yet issued any such forecast.
He said Odisha must remain vigilant due to the influence of El Niño and changing weather patterns. Although below-normal rainfall had initially been predicted, June recorded deficient rainfall before July witnessed 38 per cent excess rainfall, a trend he described as indicative of climate variability.
Calling August a critical month for water management, Rout expressed hope that the state may avoid another major flood but stressed that authorities would remain prepared to respond to any adverse weather conditions.
