Flood Situation Remains Grim In Odisha’s Balasore

Balasore/Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in Balasore district remains grim as the water level of Jalaka and Subarnarekha rivers continue to flow above the danger level.

In Basta block, Jalaka at Mathani was flowing at a height of 6.64 metres against the danger level of 5.5 metres at 9 am. The overflowing floodwater has disrupted road communication and several roads in Mathani panchayat and 50 villages of Basta block remain marooned.

The flood situation will worsen further if there is rain in the upper catchments, stated reports.

Subarnarekha was flowing at 9.5 metres against the danger level of 9.45 metres at Rajghat at 7 am. While water entered 20 villages in Baliapal block this morning disrupting road communication, several other riverside villages remain inundated since yesterday.

Among the affected panchayats, Asti, Baliapal, Bishnupur, Jamakunda and Madhupura have been badly affected as hundreds of acres of paddy crop are submerged.

In Bhogarai block, several villages in Gabagan, Kusuda, Nahara and Nachinda panchayats are marooned. The district administration has engaged 10 boats for rescue operation.

According to Water Resources Department, as the Jharkhand government has released floodwater of Subarnarekha from 11 sluice gates of Galudihi barrage, about 6000 cusecs of floodwater is now discharged at Jamsolaghat. Considering the release of the floodwater from Galudihi barrage, the water level of the river will cross the danger level of 10.36 metres at Rajghat by 11 pm tonight.

Apprehending flood, the district administration has cautioned people of the riverside areas to remain on high alert.

Balasore Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy told mediapersons that arrangements have been made to evacuate people from low-lying areas if a flood situation arises.

Giving latest flood situation in Balasore later in the day in Bhubaneswar, Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources, Dhiren Samal said as there are four breaches in the lower catchments of Jalaka, the repair and restoration of the damaged embankment will be taken up on a war-footing after the recession of floodwater.

He also said flood situation is most likely in Subarnarekha as the water level of the river at Rajghat will have a gradual rise from this evening.