Bhubaneswar: In preparation for the upcoming monsoon and flood season, Odisha’s Department of Water Resources has placed all field and office staff on high alert, restricting routine leave to ensure a swift and effective emergency response.
The directive emerged from a high-level pre-flood preparedness review meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary of the Water Resources Department, with the Engineer-in-Chief also in attendance. Senior officials, including Chief Engineers of major projects who joined virtually, assessed readiness across key areas such as flood-contingency measures, river embankment safety, dam and reservoir operations, drainage management, and last-mile emergency services.
Officials have been barred from leaving their headquarters without prior approval from the competent authority. All officers must remain on standby throughout the season to address potential flooding, embankment breaches, controlled reservoir releases, and other disaster situations. The department has emphasised strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for reservoir gate operations, with warnings against any lapses in duties.
To bolster coordination, field officers have been instructed to collaborate closely with district administrations, police, revenue officials, Panchayati Raj institutions, and disaster management teams. They must maintain updated contact lists of key personnel, public representatives, and equipment suppliers for immediate deployment during emergencies.
For real-time monitoring and rapid decision-making, 24×7 flood control rooms and flood cells will operate from June 1 to October 31 across all departmental divisions, circles, Chief Engineer offices, and at Rajiv Bhawan. Staff assigned to these units have been directed to remain available round-the-clock.
The department has also identified embankment stretches vulnerable to breaches in the past three years for special monitoring.
