BARIPADA/SUNDARGARH: With Budhabalanga river in spate owing to incessant rains in the last few days, residents of low-lying areas of Madhuban in Baripada have started shifting to safer places.
The river has already breached its banks and started entering human habitation. A few residents have constructed temporary sheds on both sides of the road between Baripada and Udala.
Sources said while more than 10 families have already shifted to safer places, around 200 families may be relocated if the water level continues to rise.
Ashok Kumar Das, a resident of Madhuban, said officials of neither the district administration nor municipality have yet visited the area to take stock of the situation and shift people to safer places.
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Madhuban Development Committee secretary Bikram Keshari Jena said the residents of the locality have been demanding measures to tackle floods but the district administration and the state government remain apathetic towards their plight.
He said around 2,600 residents of the area have been living in fear since the onset of monsoon owing to its close proximity to the river. Jena said the poor sewerage system in Madhuban often results in artificial floods. If the water does not recede soon, the situation may turn worse, he warned.
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The district has received an average of 244.43 mm of rainfall in the last couple of days. The water level of Budhabalanga river stood at 27.6 metres. The danger level of the river is 30.92 metre.
In Lefripara block of Sundargarh district, floodwater from the swelling Ichha river entered Suruguda village of Lefripara block on Sunday morning. However, the fear of flood subsided as the water level started receding in the forenoon.
BJP leader H S Sarangi said due to overnight heavy rains in the catchment areas of Ichha river, it started swelling and floodwater entered Suruguda village. He said fearing aggravation of the flood situation, the authorities of a roadside residential school evacuated the students to safer place.
However, from 10 am onwards, the floodwater started receding and by afternoon, the situation improved considerably. Sources said there was no damage to property or life.
Seven gates of Hirakud dam opened
Sambalpur: Hirakud Dam authorities opened two more sluice gates on Sunday. Currently, flood water is being released through seven sluice gates of the dam. As at 6 pm on Sunday, the water level of Hirakud Dam Reservoir stood at 620.41 feet against Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 630 feet.
The flow of water into the reservoir was 1,38,423 cusec and the outflow was 1,27,380 cusec, including 1,09,914 cusec through spillway, 14,219 cusec through power channel, 3,077 cusec through canals and 170 cusec through pipelines of industries.
The rainfall in the upstream of the dam in the last 24 hours was recorded at 11.90 mm. Rainfall of 18.72 mm of rainfall was registered in the downstream.