Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Water Resources Department has put all field and office staff on high alert for the monsoon and flood season, with routine leave restricted to ensure swift emergency response.
The directions were issued during a pre-flood preparedness meeting chaired by the department’s Principal Secretary. Officials have been barred from leaving their headquarters without prior approval from the competent authority.
The review covered flood management protocols, embankment safety, reservoir operations, and last-mile emergency services. All officers have been told to stay on standby through the season to tackle flooding, embankment breaches, controlled reservoir releases, and other disaster situations.
To strengthen ground coordination, field officers have been instructed to work closely with district administration, police, revenue officials, Panchayati Raj bodies and disaster management teams. They have also been asked to keep updated contact lists of key officials, public representatives, and machinery suppliers ready for immediate deployment.
For real-time monitoring, 24×7 flood control rooms will function till October 31 across all divisions, circles, Chief Engineer offices, and at Rajiv Bhawan. Staff posted to these units have been directed to remain available round-the-clock.
The department has further flagged embankment stretches vulnerable to breaches in the last three years for close watch. Strict compliance with SOPs for reservoir gate operations has been mandated, with officials warning against any lapse in flood management duties.
