Medium-level flood in Mahanadi; peak flood water to pass through Mundali tomorrow

Odisha government on Sunday put the Collectors of several districts on alert in view of a medium-scale flood in Mahanadi and directed officials to carry out necessary evacuation and rehabilitation measures if required.

After reviewing the situation arising out of incessant rainfall in Chhattisgarh and low pressure induced rainfall in the past two days in Odisha, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena said peak flood water will pass through Mundali barrage by tomorrow.

According to Jena, a medium flood of the range of the one which occurred in August 2019, is expected in Mahanadi. “Mahanadi basin will witness the peak flood when the water released from Hirakud reaches Mundali tomorrow. Around 10 lakh to 10.50 lakh cusecs of flood water is likely to pass through Mundali,” said Jena.

The SRC informed that though it was earlier decided to open around 40 gates of Hirakud dam, it has now been decided to go for entire management by releasing excess water through 34 sluice gates of the dam.

The engineers of the Water Resources department have been put on alert, especially Khordha, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Nayagarh and Cuttack districts in view of the flood situation to monitor river embankments. The SRC said that already 7 teams of ODRAF, 3 NDRF, 12 teams of Fire services department have been mobilised in these districts.

Meanwhile, the well-marked low pressure has intensified into a depression today. IMD has predicted heavy rainfall activities in Chhattisgarh and Odisha in the next 24 hours.