The Water Resources department has cancelled the leave of its all employees in view of the flooding caused by incessant rain which has been triggered by the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
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Addressing media, the Water Resources department's Engineer-in-chief Dhiren Samal, said, "Leave of all employees has been cancelled. We have identified 20 vulnerable spots across the State and will carry out night patrolling if required."
Asked about the possibilities of flood-like situation in the State, he said, "There are eight large and 44 medium-sized reservoirs in the State. While the water level at Hirakud is at 78 per cent of its full capacity, it is at 83 per cent in Rengali. The water level at the rest of the dams is below 50 per cent. So, there are no possibilities of flood-like situation."
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However, the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar has predicted flood-like situation in Odisha due to the heavy downpour.
"Odisha may experience flood-like situation due to incessant heavy downpour. Though the rainfall deficit will be reduced, non-stop showers might bring in fresh problems. The situation in coastal Odisha is likely to change for the better by this evening," said Umashankar Das, scientist at the IMD Bhubaneswar.
Meanwhile, Cuttack recorded 150mm rainfall in the last 24 hours leading to severe water-logging in low-lying areas in the city.
"As many as 200 pump sets have been engaged to discharge excess water from several localities in the town, while dry food arranged for the residents trapped in rainwater," Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Commissioner Ananya Das said.
Healthcare services at Radio Oncology dept of Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC) in Cuttack has been affected as rainwater has entered the hospital building.
"Pumps have been pressed into service at the AHPGIC to drain out the stagnant rainwater," Das added.