Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s flood situation remained under close government monitoring on Thursday, with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari conducting an aerial survey of the worst-affected districts even as authorities said rainfall had subsided and river levels were showing signs of receding.
Accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee and Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, the Minister inspected flood-affected and waterlogged areas of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Keonjhar districts from a helicopter to assess the extent of damage and the progress of relief operations.
Before undertaking the aerial survey, Pujari held a virtual review meeting at Lok Seva Bhavan with district collectors and senior officials to assess the prevailing flood and rainfall situation across the state.
Addressing the media after the review, the Minister said floods have affected 5,87,822 people in five districts, while 1,76,073 people have been evacuated to safer locations. He said three persons have lost their lives in flood-related incidents and around 1.65 lakh people are currently staying in relief centres.
The Minister said the flood impact has been most severe in Bhadrak, Balasore and Jajpur, while Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar have also witnessed moderate damage.
Providing an update on river conditions, Pujari said the water level in the Hirakud reservoir stood at 620 feet, with two sluice gates open. Around 6.5 lakh cusecs of water was flowing towards Mundali during the day, while discharge at Naraj was expected to rise to around 9 lakh cusecs by night. Water has already entered low-lying areas of Badamba and Athagada in Kataka district.
Quoting the Central Water Commission, the Minister said the water level at Mundali remained above the warning level but below the danger mark, adding that river levels across the state had started receding. He noted that the absence of rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Chhattisgarh had brought significant relief and that no major rainfall was forecast over Odisha for the next three days, although rainfall may resume after August 2.
Pujari said authorities have been instructed to ensure that water discharge at Naraj remains below 10 lakh cusecs, beyond which flooding could intensify in downstream areas. He added that the Hirakud reservoir can safely retain water up to 622 feet.
Meanwhile, the Housing and Urban Development Department has intensified efforts to tackle urban flooding and waterlogging in affected districts, particularly Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mohapatra said the department has accorded top priority to public safety, rapid drainage of water and uninterrupted relief operations. He said heavy rainfall had put additional pressure on natural drainage systems, leading to waterlogging in several urban areas.
The Minister said leave of all officers and employees under the department has been cancelled, with officials remaining on 24-hour alert to monitor the situation. Departmental control rooms are functioning round the clock to coordinate emergency response.
Additional pump sets have been deployed to drain water from inundated areas, while urban local bodies have been directed to deploy adequate manpower and machinery to clear water from roads, residential localities and other affected areas. Authorities have also been instructed to remove blockages from drains, culverts and natural drainage channels to restore the flow of water.
The department said arrangements have been made to supply safe drinking water, cooked meals, dry food and lighting facilities in affected areas. Local administrations are also evacuating residents from vulnerable locations wherever necessary, while maintaining close coordination with all departments engaged in relief and rescue operations.
Officials said the state government, under the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, is maintaining continuous surveillance over the flood situation, with the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Housing and Urban Development Department and district administrations working in coordination to ensure timely assistance reaches affected people.
