As the data and expert opinions continue to flow, the question and concern is getting shriller; was the flood completely unavoidable and nothing could have been done to protect the property of the common man?
The State government has completely neglected the Mahanadi over last 22 years. The rule curve of Hirakud dam which should have been reviewed every 10 years, has not been reviewed in last 38 years.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has directed to form squads to keep an eye on black marketing and hoarding during floods.
Floodwater has marooned several villages after a rupture in Balarampur gheri embankment. Similarly, Dhiabalarampur village has been cut off from the rest of the region.
The flood situation in Odisha is likely to peak in three hours. This period is extremely crucial for all, said the Engineer in Chief of Odisha Water Resources Department Bijay Kumar Mishra.
Sameer Mohanty also accused the Odisha government of soft-paddling the dispute thereby neglecting the interests of the people of Odisha who depend on the river for their livelihood.
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.
Even though the Odisha government has predicted a small-scale flood due to release of massive amount of floodwaters from Hirakud Dam in a day or two, several low lying regions of districts from east to west Odisha especially the ones situated around the Mahanadi basin have already witnessed flood situation.
A Mo Bus became the victim of urban flooding after heavy showers in Jatni area of Khordha leaving passengers battling for life before being rescued to safety.
After receiving information, fire department officials rushed to the spot and rescued them with the help of a motor boat.
Jalaka River was also flowing over the danger level of 6.64 metres near Mathani leading to inundation of several roads which have severely affected communication in the region. The floodwater from Jalaka has entered 50 villages of 12 panchayats of the district.
On urban flooding, the BMC Commissioner informed that city civic authorities had earlier marked 27 vulnerable waterlogging spots but after record-breaking rainfall this year, the numbers of such susceptible zones have been revised to 75.
The residents of Rasulpur and Srirampur panchayats under Sadar block of Balasore district are also suffering as floodwater has entered the village affecting communication in these regions.
Chief Engineer, Water Resources Dhiren Samal informed that the water level in the basins of Mahanadi, Baitarani, Brahmani and other rivers is either stable or on a receding trend. “So, there is little likelihood of escalation of flood situation in these systems,” he assured.
The cyclonic circulation now lies over east-central and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal extending upto 5.8 km above mean sea level. It is very likely to move west north-westwards and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal off north Odisha-WestBengal coasts during the next 12 hours, informed the Met Centre in a tweet.
The siblings were later found in the vicinity of their home in critical condition after they were washed away by the strong water current.
Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena had earlier said that a low to medium flood in the Mahanadi river system is being expected as the upper catchment areas in Chhattisgarh have been receiving heavy rainfall due to the depression which crossed Odisha on Tuesday.
A six-member Central team led by the joint secretary, Union Home Ministry, Praveen Vashista, arrived in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday to assess the damages caused by flood water in the flood hit districts of the State. The inter-ministerial team comprises members from the ministries of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Water Resources, Road Transport & Highways, Rural […]
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday announced a special package of Rs 300 crore for livelihood support for the farmers affected by the recent Odisha flood. Incessant rainfall and the subsequent flood had damaged standing crops in different districts of the State last month. Check Details Of The Flood Relief Package: Agriculture Sector: […]
Kendrapara: Anubhav Mohanty, who was on a visit to flood-ravaged Alapua village under Pattamundai block of the district on Monday, was gheraoed by locals over alleged negligence on part of the actor-turned-MP citing that he is seldom seen in the worst-hit areas. Expressing their discontent, the affected people confronted him as soon as he got […]
Kendrapara: Fire personnel on Sunday rescued a family stranded for around 4 days in flood from the coastal district of the State. As per information, five members of a family including 3 children were trapped in Kaithapal island near Rajkanika after floodwater gushed into their area following rise in water level in Brahmani and Baitarani […]
Bhubaneswar: Even has rainfall activity has lessened in Odisha, a medium to large scale flood threat still looms large on several districts of the State in view of continuous surge in the water level in major rivers. Chief engineer of State water resources department, Jyotirmaya Rath on Friday predicted a moderate to severe flood in […]
Bhubaneswar: Incessant rain in the upper catchment areas has triggered fear of a moderate flood in the districts adjoining Mahanadi river basin. As per information received from Odisha State Emergency Operation Centre, about 6.52 lakh cusec of water was discharged through a total of 24 gates of Hirakud Dam at 9 am today. The outflow […]
Baripada/Keonjhar: As many as three persons were killed across Odisha on Wednesday due to the heavy downpour leading to overflowing of several rivers. An elderly woman was swept away by Gangahar river water while crossing inundated road near Badasahi Manatri Temple in Baripada today. Locals reportedly alerted the woman not to cross the submerged road […]
Bhubaneswar: Since Odisha’s worst cyclonic disaster became talking point of the nation, the departing 2019 could well be remembered as a calamitous year in State’s history. The tumultuous fact is State had to bear the brunt of Extremely Severe Cyclone (ESC) Fani in a month which was not considered as the traditional cyclone season in […]
Bhubaneswar: In farmlands affected badly by floods this monsoon, Odisha was among the top-5 states in the country. The more disconcerting statistics is, in terms of proportion of flooded farmland to total flooded area, the State stood second in the country after Karnataka. Significantly, when Karnataka has faced a severe flood this monsoon affecting almost […]
Sonepur: Heavy rain and subsequent flooding in river Nibruti that damaged the houses and destroyed crops in Narda village under Tarbha Tehsil of Sonepur district have thrown life out of gear for the villagers. However, no help has reached these villagers even though it has been four days since water receded. Losing all hope villagers […]
Malkangiri/Rayagada/Kalahandi: With decrease in rainfall activities, flood situation in south Odisha has begun to show gradual improvement. The water level in several rivers in Malkangiri is receding while floodwater flowing over many low-lying roads and bridges in the district has also gone down. Despite the improvement in situation, many areas of the district continue to […]
Bhubaneswar: Deep depression-induced rain lashed several parts of Odisha today triggering flood-like situation. In the wake of continuous rainfall in several parts of the State, Special Relief Commissioner, Bishnupada Sethi today said that the situation is being closely monitored and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Services teams have been asked to remain […]
Malkangiri: The flood-like situation in Malkangiri district improved on Sunday bringing much relief to the people. As water level of several rivers including Sileru, Saberi, Poteru and Saptadhara started receding, road communication has been restored in the region, senior officials said. Earlier, vehicular communication in the district was adversely affected as several bridges in the […]
Malkangiri/Bhubaneswar: Heavy rain lashed several parts of Odisha triggering flood-like situation in Malkangiri cutting-off several parts of the district. Communication in the district has been severely affected with rainwater flowing above several low-lying bridges in Poteru, Kankoraokonda, Kanyashram, MV-90 and Korkunda areas today. Road connectivity between Malkangiri and Kalimela, Kalimela and Padia & Motu areas […]
Bhubaneswar: Flood situation triggered by heavy rain following Cyclone ‘Titli’ is gradually improving, particularly in Ganjam and Gajapati districts, informed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Bishnupada Sethi today. Sethi informed that though water is fast receding from several parts of Ganjam and Gajapati districts, many villages are still marooned. However, adequate steps are being taken to […]
Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Chhattisgarh government for releasing excess water into the Mahanadi without prior information. Speaking to media, BJD vice president, Debi Prasad Mishra blamed the neighbouring state for flooding in Mahanadi and stated that lack of information from the Chhattisgarh government about the […]