Addressing a presser here in Bhubaneswar, Jena said three blocks of Balasore received more than 200mm rainfall with Bhograi receiving highest 226mm rainfall. Similarly, 16 blocks of Mayurbhanj district received more than 100mm rainfall followed by 100-50mm rainfall in five blocks of Keonjhar district.
Heavy rainfall also reportedly pounded Jharkhand following which seven gates of Galudih barrage were opened. Currently, 1.50L cusec water is being released through the barrage.
The water may reach Odisha, but there is no fear of flood-like situation in Budhabalanga, the Special Relief Commissioner said.
“As I had informed earlier, water level in Hirakud will be brought below 622ft before today noon, now it is at 621.93 ft. Efforts are on to bring it down to 620.5 ft by tomorrow morning. So, we have directed to close four more gates in the dam. Now, out of the 24 gates, four will be closed and 20 gates will remain open,” the SRC stated adding that the inflow into Hirakud Dam has also come down to about 3.23 cusec against the outflow of 4.10 lakh cusec.
“There is a heavy rainfall activity in the lower catchment area of Hirakud. We are on alert mode and taking stock of the situation. There is no fear of flood-like situation in Budhabalanga,” the SRC said.
“Four people have lost their lives in wall collapse. Two died in Mayurbhanj, one in Balasore and the fourth death due to wall collapse has been reported from Keonjhar,” the SRC further stated.
Earlier, the SRC had informed the media that flood water level had started receding in several districts and people were returning to their homes. The administrations continued to provide cooked food, dry food packets and drinking water bottles in parts of Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Kendrapara and other districts.
As per Mishra, around 6 lakh cusecs of flood water is expected to pass through Mundali at around 8 am tomorrow. “At present, excess water is being released through 24 gates of Hirakud dam. We are expecting 6 lakh cusecs of water to pass through Mundali barrage tomorrow. The Baitaraini has breached the danger mark of 17.83mts at Akhuapada at 11 am today. Though the water level of major rivers is rising, it is below the danger mark as of today,” said Mishra.
In view of average 25 mm of rainfall in upper catchment areas of Mahanadi and 45 mm in downstream, more gates of Hirakud dam could be opened to release excess water. More water is entering Hirakud dam due to heavy rainfall in Chhattisgarh.
The Chhattisgarh water resource department officials are pressurising the Hirakud dam authorities to open more gates of the dam. “We have already told Chhattisgarh counterpart that the gates of Hirakud dam will be opened only after reviewing the situation,” said Mishra.
The holidays of officials and other staff have been cancelled and they have been asked to monitor and supervise the situation at various points and river embankments in the coastal belt of the state.
“As of today, there is no flood situation. But a minor flood is likely in Mahanadi system if rainfall continues in Chhattisgarh. Only after reviewing the inflow from Chhattisgarh and capacity of the reservoir, we can say on the further situation,” said Mishra.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the formation of a fresh low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal around August 13 that is likely to bring more rain for the next five days.
“A fresh low pressure area is likely to form over North Bay of Bengal around 13 August, 2022 . It is likely to become more marked during subsequent 24 hours and move west-northwestwards thereafter,” informed Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist Umashankar Das.
“Under the influence of the system, heavy to heavy rainfall is likely to lash many districts on August 13 and 14 . The rainfall will be the highest on August 14 and might slightly decrease by August 15,” Das added.
The IMD has predicted that heavy rain might lead to landslides in hilly regions and cause water logging in low-lying areas. Moreover, surface wind speed gusting up to 60 kmph is likely to prevail along and off Odisha coast.
On the other hand, a flood-like situation is expected on Mahanadi due to excess rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Chhattisgarh. More water is entering Hirakud dam due to heavy rainfall in Chhattisgarh.
Many other rivers are in spate submerging low-lying areas and severely disrupting road communication.
Furthermore, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea and collectors have been directed to remain prepared to handle any emergency.
Here a 3-day-old newborn is being rescued from a house marooned in flood water. The newborn baby and its mother were rescued by the rescue team and shifted to a safer place.
Around 50,000 people in as many as 12 panchayats under Basta block of Balasore have been hit hard due to the rise in water level following incessant rain.
The water level of Subarnarekha touched 10.42 metre at Rajghat in Balasore against the danger level of 10.36 metres.
The overflowing water has started entering five villages situated in the low lying areas under Baliapala block. Villages like Sungamuhan, Kudmansingh, Gunapur, Athabatia, Routpada are getting waterlogged, reports said.
Acres of farm lands have been washed away due to the flooding water. Vehicular communication has also been disrupted as several approaching roads in the locality are inundated.
Local tehsildar said that the administration has advised the villagers to vacate kuccha houses and buildings in low lying areas and shift to safer places.
The administration has also made arrangements at schools and different cyclone shelters for accommodation of the affected people.
People living in the low-lying villages were alerted through loud speakers on Sunday afternoon. If situation worsens, dry food will be provided to the affected people, reports said.
The Junior Engineer (JE) of Water Resources Department has informed that excess water will be released and the water level may cross 11 metres at Rajghat by 11 am today.
According to reports, the administration is working to ensure zero damage to lives and properties.
People from vulnerable areas will be evacuated if situation gets worse, officials said.
By now, acres of farmland have been inundated and road communication snapped in many parts in both the districts. While road communication from Sonepur to Biramaharajpur via Bijepur has been disrupted due to floodwater flowing above Bijepur bridge, Sonepur-Rairakhol road is also submerged at Pitamahula due to excess flow of water in Bauri Jora. Similarly, vehicular traffic between Biramaharajpur-Rairakhol, Biramaharajpur-Athmallik and Biramaharajpur-Boudh has been snapped.
Meanwhile, the Boudh district administration is on high alert in view of water flowing close to danger mark in Mahanadi. The river is flowing at 105.43 metres against danger mark of 109 metres at Khairamal. Besides, water is flowing five feet above Jagannath Sadak near Dhalapur.
Khambashiripali, Nuapli, Deuli, Nuagada, Phulachara, Keutipali, Kelagaon and Kunjamahula villages in Boudh district are likely to be affected in case more water is released.
On the other hand, flood water being released from Hirakud Dam will take 36 hours to cross the Naraj barrage at Munduli. Around 7.5 lakh cusec water is expected to cross the barrage, said sources though SRC maintains that 8.5 lakh cusec water could flow.
Also Read: Two gates of Balimela reservoir to be opened today
Authorities of Balimela reservoir in Malkangiri have also opened two gates out of 10 gates as water level has increased in the dam following incessant rain in the upper catchment areas. The Malkangiri district administration has alerted residents of Doraguda, Gunthawada and Nuaguda panchayats to move to safer destinations in case too much water flows into the area.
Speaking on preparedness for possible flood, Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi says, “The district administration has been alerted and NDRF and ODRAF units have been prepositioned in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Puri districts as per their requisition. Keeping in view of the situation, people in low lying areas have also been alerted. Shelters have been kept ready to accommodate people in case of emergency.”
The precautionary measure has been taken to minimize the loss of life and property in case of a ‘possible flood’ in view of the rising water level of Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Budhabalang following heavy rainfall in most parts of the state in the last couple of days.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the flood situation and directed three district collectors to closely monitor and take appropriate measures to deal with the situation.
Odisha is to experience heavy rainfall as the low pressure area has become a 'well marked low pressure area' over the Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand today.
Under its influence, rain and thundershowers are likely to occur in most places in Odisha in the next 24 hours, the Meteorological centre here said.
Heavy rainfall is expected in one or two places in Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Maurbhanj and Balasore districts and heavy to very heavy rainfall in one or two places in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Baragarh districts in the next 24 hours, it said.
“CM Naveen Patnaik had reviewed the situation and directed all the departments to remain alert and initiate action as and when required. Three district collectors have been asked to monitor water levels of major rivers in their respective districts,” said Special Relief Commission Bishnupad Sethi.
Sethi further said that nearly 60 multi-purpose cyclone and flood shelters have been kept ready and people in low-lying areas would be shifted if needed.
The water level of Baitarani river at Akhuapada in Bhadrak was 18.06 meters at 3pm against the danger level mark of 17.83 metre.
However, as the river embankments have been strengthened, our engineers in water resources department have assured us that there is no fear of flood even as the water level of Baitarani touched 18.06 meters at Akhuapada.
One team of ODRAF personnel and dry food items have been dispatched to two northern districts in view of a possible flood-like situation to Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts.
School and Mass Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra held discussion with the Keonjhar district administration earlier in the day.
According to a study by NASA, Earth is expected to see a four-fold rise in the number of floods as the lunar cycle accompanied by the climate crisis will lead to a rise in sea levels.
The study by members of the NASA Sea Level Change Science Team from the University of Hawaii has revealed that the long-term geological processes are leading to rise in far northern coastlines’ land areas and flooding will begin in these areas after a decade.
Published in the journal ‘Nature Climate Change’, the study is the first to take into account all known oceanic and astronomical causes for floods, NASA said in a news release.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had recorded more than 600 high-tide floods in 2019.
However, these floods will occur in clusters lasting for over a month or longer in the 2030s, the study said. However, the phenomenon would depend on the positions of the Moon, Sun and Earth, while some cities are likely to witness floods every day.
According to reports, the embankment which protects 10 villages of four panchayats including Olaga, Sundarpur, Nandapur and Aradi of the district developed a crack in the evening yesterday.
Later the structure collapsed more than 200 feet in length by late night triggering flood concerns among the locals of the low-lying areas.
#WATCH: Baitarini River embankment collapses at Sathibankuda village under Chandbali block in #Bhadrak district #Odisha pic.twitter.com/ErWSA2yQsS
— OTV (@otvnews) October 6, 2018
Locals rued that even as solid stone packing was carried out on the embankment to prevent its erosion, sub-standard quality of work has resulted in the collapse of the structure.
“This has become a regular issue. The concerned officials come here and review the situation every year but nothing tangible has been done yet. We do not know whether the administration or the contractor is responsible for the mishap,” alleged a local resident, Rabindra Mahakud.
As per the latest update from the Revenue & Disaster management department, medium flood in Mahanadi & its distributaries is anticipated as about 11.5 lakh cusecs of floodwater is likely to be discharged at Mundali on August 15 due to heavy rainfall in the lower catchments of the river. Moreover, collectors of 13 districts have been put on alert.
In view of the widespread damages caused by heavy rain, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced seven days gratuitous relief of Rs 60/adult and Rs 45/child per day for the flood-affected people of Kalahandi, Boudh, Kandhamal, Sonepur and Bolangir distircts.
Earlier, speaking at a presser, SRC Bishnupada Sethi said that in last 24 hours several parts of western and southwestern along with interior Odisha have experienced extremely heavy rainfall with as many as 5 districts recording more than 100 mm of average rainfall. Bolangir has recorded the highest 226.3 mm rainfall followed by Boudh 169.7 mm, Kalahandi 160.4 mm, Sonepur 139.6 mm and Kandhamal 125.3 mm of rainfall.
In terms of block wise rainfall, Karlamunda has recorded 608 mm of rainfall, the highest for any block this season. At least 40 blocks of five districts have received more than 200 mm of average rainfall during the time.
With the India Meteorological Department forecasting more rainfall in coming 24 hours, the SRC said that apart from warning for possible flood situation, ODRAF and Fire Services teams have been mobilized in the districts of Boudh, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Kandhamal.
While rivers in most districts are currently flowing below danger mark, the SRC further informed that hundreds of people have been evacuated to safer places from low lying areas in the affected districts.
“So far we have taken a decision to open 16 gates as of now to release excess floodwater. If the inflow is more from upper catchment areas, we can open more gates,” said PK Jena, Secretary of Water Resources Department.
At present, the water level of Hirakud stands at 622 ft against its storage capacity of 630 ft. Around 1,98,762 cusecs of water is entering the dam against an outflow of 2,68,663 cusecs per second.
Jena further informed that adequate measures are being taken to ensure that the flood situation is contained at the Mahanadi downstream.
“To ensure that there is no flood situation and to reduce the net impact at Munduli, we have decided to see that there is flow of nearly 5 lakh cusecs of water at Mundali. The gate operation of Hirakud will also be restricted accordingly so that the water level of the reservoir is kept between 619 and 620ft by August 21,” Jena added.
The matter came to light during the surprise visit of Cuttack Collector Bhawani Shankar Chayani to Sadar Tehsil office late on Thursday night. However, as the office was locked and no officials were present, the Collector expressed his resentment as a decision was taken to set up a 24-hour control room.
The district collector later directed additional district magistrate to initiate action against the errant officials for not abiding by the official order.
While thousands of people in these four districts have been affected, farmlands have been submerged in the floodwater.
The situation is grim at Kanas block in Puri district while communication to Balipatna and Dokanda villages of Khurda district has also been affected. Orabarsingh gram panchayat of the Khurda district also witnessed similar situation after floodwater from Rajua river entered eight villages.
Several low-lying villages including Bilipada, Talabasta, Similipur and Kusponka of Banki block in Cuttack district are also inundated. Water level in different tributary rivers like Paika river, Chitroptala, Luna and Kerandia has also risen considerably which triggered a flood like situation in Kendrapa district.
On the other hand, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi informed that the flood-like situation is under control.