Bhubaneswar: With southwest monsoon already active in Odisha, the state government on Thursday held a high-level meeting to review the arrangements to bolster the flood preparedness during rainy season.
During the meeting, chaired by Development Commissioner Anu Garg, it was decided that round-the-clock flood management operations will be active across all divisions, circles, and offices under the Chief Engineers of the Water Resources Department from June 1 to October 31.
Control rooms will function at the Chief Engineer’s Office, Engineer-in-Chief (EIC) Office, and the State Hydrological Data Centre (SHDC), located at Rajiv Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, an official statement said.
As part of the preparedness, joint inspections of river embankments have been conducted by the District Administration and Water Resources officials, and the current health of the embankments has been reported to be satisfactory. Notably, no breach was reported during 2024 flood season, and permanent rehabilitation of previously affected or vulnerable sites has been completed.
The Water Resources department has also issued directives for the removal of all obstructions, including coffer dams, from rivers and drainage channels by June 15. Mock drills have been successfully conducted to test the operational readiness of gates in all major and medium projects, barrages, and weirs, with thorough inspections completed to ensure functionality.
For emergency response, flood-fighting materials such as sand filled gunny bags, brushwood (ballha), and bamboo have been pre-positioned. Heavy machinery including generators, JCBs, excavators, trucks, tractors, cutters, and water tankers have also been arranged for deployment at short notice.
To strengthen public communication, daily rainfall and flood forecasts will be disseminated in coordination with the Central Water Commission (CWC), India Meteorological Department (IMD), and the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC). Additionally, contact details of two flood control officers from each division will be shared with all concerned stakeholders to ensure timely communication during emergencies.
All operations will be conducted in line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for effective flood management.
The meeting was attended by the Engineer-in-Chief of the Department of Water Resources, senior officials, and engineers from across the state, both in physical and virtual modes.
