Mahanadi Triggers Flood Threat In Four Odisha Districts

Bhubaneswar: With the release of floodwater of Mahanadi from the Hirakud Dam, the flood threat is looming large in four districts of Odisha.

In Banki sub-division of Cuttack district, road communication in four panchayats including Bilipada and Samilapur panchayats has been disrupted due to overflowing of the floodwater at a height of about 5 feet over the Huluhula bridge, while the floodwater of Kaiyan nullah is flowing over a bridge at Samilapur panchayat. About 10,000 people of the four panchayats are marooned due to floodwater.

Similarly, floodwater of Mahanadi has entered the riverside villages and other low-lying areas in Boudh district, disrupting road communication in several panchayats.

In Sonepur district, the floodwater of Mahanadi has entered Baurijor nullah. As a result, the floodwater was flowing over five feet on the approach road of the Baurijora bridge disrupting road communication to and from Boudh, Redhakhol and Athamallik.

In Khurda district, the floodwater of Rajua river has entered Tirimula village of Orabarasing panchayat

Following torrential rain in the upper catchment, the authorities of Hirakud Dam have opened 20 gates for the release of floodwater.

By 6 pm on Monday, the water level of the dam was 625.50 feet (optimum level 630 feet). While the inflow of the floodwater to the reservoir was 3,29,425 cusecs per second, the outflow from the 14 gates from the left spillway and 6 right spillway was 3,42,130 cusecs per second.

Besides, the discharge of the floodwater at Khairmal barrage was 5.76 lakh cusecs per second while it was 6.64 lakh cusecs and 7,42,631 cusecs per second at Barmul and Mundali barrage respectively.

However, floodwater is most likely to recede as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted dry weather in Odisha in the next two days.