No major flood threat in Odisha, informs top water resources department official

Odisha is unlikely to face a major flood in the coming days, informed engineer-in-chief of the Water Resources department Chandra Sekhar Padhi on Sunday.

Speaking to the media, Padhi said, since no region in the state received rainfall exceeding 50 mm in the last 24 hours, major rivers are expected to see a gradual fall in water levels.

However, a rising trend in the Subarnarekha River has triggered concerns of possible flooding in low-lying areas of Balasore district. Padhi said that blocks such as Bhogarai, Baliapal, Basta, and Jaleswar are likely to be impacted. 

At Rajghat, the river level is projected to rise to 11.04 meters by 9 PM today. Discussions have been held with the Balasore District Collector to ensure readiness, he informed.

On the other hand, the water level in the Baitarani River at Akhuapada is steadily decreasing and is likely to drop below the danger mark soon.

Meanwhile, the water level of Hirakud Dam presently stands at 614 feet. With 20 sluice gates open, the dam is receiving an inflow of 5.17 lakh cusecs, while releasing 3.41 lakh cusecs. If the inflow reduces further, the gates will be closed gradually. At Rengali Dam, three gates remain open, and there is no immediate plan to open more, the engineer-in-chief said.