Odisha Blames Chhattisgarh For Flood Situation In Mahanadi

Bhubaneswar: Even as Hirakud Dam authorities decided to open the sluice gates to release floodwater on Tuesday, the Odisha government blamed Chhattisgarh for the flood situation in the Mahanadi river.

Talking to the media on Monday, chief engineer (flood control), State Water Resources department, Purna Chandra Sahoo attributed the threat in the lower Mahanadi area to flood in Hati and Tel, the tributaries of Mahanadi, with the Chhattisgarh government opening all gates of the Kalma barrage.

Following the rise in the water in the Mahandi and its tributaries, the Odisha government has already sounded flood alert for six riverside districts.

“We have information that the Chhattisgarh government has opened all 66 gates of the Kalma barrage. Due to this, the water level in the Hirakud reservoir is rising at a faster pace. It was 615.83 feet by 12 pm today. As per the Rule Curve, the reservoir should have 591 feet of water as on this date. Had we gone by the Rule Curve, a massive flood would have occurred in Mahanadi,” Sahoo pointed out.

Referring to the flood situation in Mahanadi, he said the discharge of the floodwater at Mundali by 12 pm was 7,30,877 cusecs per second.

“If the discharge of water is more than 9 lakh cusecs per second, then there will be a major flood in Mahanadi,” he maintained.