BHUBANESWAR: With the IMD predicting heavy rainfall in next few days triggering fear of flash floods, the Water Resources department on Thursday directed officers of vulnerable districts to keep a close watch on weak river embankments.
After a review meeting on flood preparedness by Principal Secretary of the department Anu Garg, Chief Engineer Jyotirmaya Rath said as many as 20 river embankments are reported to be weak.
Engineers of coastal districts have been asked to inspect the weak points and take necessary precautionary measures, he added.
Rath said there is no immediate threat as water level is below normal in all reservoirs. However, the possibility of flash floods in coastal districts cannot be ruled out if there will be heavy rains.
Men, materials and machineries have been mobilised to areas where the river embankments are weak and there is high possibility of inundation of rain or flood water. Control rooms have been opened which would work round the clock, he said.
The IMD has predicted incessant rainfall in the State in next couple of days in the wake of a low pressure over Bay of Bengal.
Senior BJP leader and former Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal who has been touring cyclone Yaas-affected areas of Bhadrak district told TNIE that major river embankments in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kendrapara districts are not properly maintained in the last 10-12 years. Though huge funds have been allocated every year, the same is siphoned off by a contractors-engineers-politicans nexus, he alleged.