Release of floodwaters from Hirakud swells up Mahanadi

Bhubaneswar: With the release of excess flood water from Hirakud Dam reaching Mundali, flood threat looms large over several low lying areas of Cuttack districts along the Mahanadi river basin.

Special Relief Commissioner BishnupadaSethi said around 6.5 lakh cusec of water was flowing near Mundali after release of flood waters through 25 sluice gates of Hirakud Dam. As a result, the water level of Mahanadi and its tributaries has risen considerably.

Flood water of Mahanadi and Tel river has inundated several parts in Boudh district. As many as 30 villages under Harabhanga block have been marooned while hundreds of hectares of farmlands have also been inundated.

Road communication at Birmaharajpur of Sonepur, Chanagudinala bridge under Jamudoli gram panchayat, Purunamantri village under Athamalik tehsil has also been disrupted.

Similarly, several villages in Athagarh have also been inundated after flood water from Mahanadi entered the several parts today.

The State Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi, however, today informed that there is no major flood threat despite release of floodwaters from Hirakud Dam following heavy few days of rainfall in upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi basin and its tributaries.

“We are monitoring the situation round-the-clock and all kinds of preparations from shelters to arrangement of boats and deployment of fire services or NDRF have been made,” Sethi said.

Meanwhile, the meteorological department has informed that there is no possibility of heavy rain in the state in next two days.