Bhubaneswar: Flood threat in the downstream of Mahanadi delta continues with the authorities of the Hirakud Dam having kept 25 gates open to release excess water since Tuesday.
Sources in Water Resources department said that about 7 lakh cusecs of water per second would pass through the Mundali barrage by Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the floodwater of Mahanadi has entered several low-lying areas in the downstream.
In Boudh district, the flood situation remained grim with several low-lying areas having been inundated following the rise in the water level of Mahanadi and Tel rivers. Floodwater had entered more than 30 villages of Harabhanga blocks and submerged hundreds of acres of paddy fields. Road communication between Boudh and Harabhanga has been cut off with water flowing on the road. While 25 families of Kusanga panchayats have been marooned, the situation is the same for several villages of Dhalapur panchayat. Besides, floodwater has also entered several low-lying villages in Angul district bordering Boudh.
In Cuttack district, the floodwater has entered several areas in Banki and Athagarh sub-divisions. In Athagarh sub-division, the floodwater was flowing at a height of 4 feet over the Huluhula bridge between Subarnapur and Ratagada village in Uttarabanki block. Road communication between Uttarabanki and some panchayats in Tigiria block has been cut off due to overflowing of floodwater on Sompada-Badabandhiani road. Besides, road connection to Ratagada, Gopalpur, Lochanpur, Bandala, Khandahata, Gadadhar and Baunsaput villages has also been disrupted. Several acres of paddy fields in Athagarh block have been submerged by the floodwater.
Meanwhile, the water level of the Hirakud dam was 622.69 feet. While the inflow was 4,49,081 cusecs per second, the outflow was 4,10, 417 cusecs per second.
Meanwhile, following less inflow of water from the upper catchments, the Hirakud Dam authorities on Thursday afternoon closed five gates. At present the floodwater is being discharged from 20 gates. The dam authorities decided to close down five gates after getting information from the Water Resources department of Chhattisgarh. Due to less rainfall in the upper catchments in the last 24 hours, the volume of water inflow to the Hirakud dam has come down substantially.
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