BHUBANESWAR: Flood situation in the Mahanadi river system remained unchanged despite a fall in the water flow at the Mundali barrage near Cuttack.
The water level at Mundali barrage has reduced to 11.28 lakh cusec and is likely to reduce further within the next 24 hours. The inflow and discharge of flood water from Hirakud reservoir has remained almost constant at 6.42 lakh cusecs and 6.80 lakh cusecs respectively even as flood water have entered many low lying areas in coastal districts.
Around 2 lakh people in 1,366 villages and nine ULBs in 10 districts along Mahanadi basin have so far been affected by the flood triggered by back-to-back low pressure. As many as 337 villages with more than 20,000 people remained marooned in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts of the state.
Floodwater inundated Nimapada-Bhubaneswar road at Garapada and Nimapada-Balanga road near Dhamra on Wednesday. Road communication was disrupted with water overflowing on Khurda-Balangir NH-57 near Baghamari. The floodwater of the Mahanadi have also entered low lying areas in Banki NAC.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradip Kumar Jena told mediapersons after a review meeting that floodwaters breached two more river embankments, Kushabhadra near Tendiakuda in Puri and Mahanadi near Teramanapur in Jagatsinghpur on Wednesday.
The SRC said this is the first time after 2011 that so much water flow is seen at Mundali. He, however, said that within the next 24 hours, water flow at Mundali will reduce to 9 lakh cusecs. “The next 24 hours are crucial when the peak flood will pass through and reach the sea. Following which, the water level will further recede,” he added.
Water flow at Mundali is reducing by 17,000 cusecs every hour now and within the next few hours the flow per hour will further reduce to 25,000 cusecs. The SRC said water level of Devi river is also receding. The water level of Devi river was 12.04 feet as against danger level of 11.76 feet.
Several localities of Narsinghpur, Banki, Badamba, Damapada, Tigiria and Athagarh blocks marooned after different connecting roads cut off by flood water in Cuttack district. “District administrations and engineers of the Water Resources department are working round-the-clock to tackle the situation and rescue operations are also underway by ODRAF, NDRF, and Fire Service personnel,” Jena said.
In view of an anticipated fresh low pressure over the north Bay of Bengal on August 19, Revenue Minister Pramila Mallik has asked the district administration of Keonjhar, Bhadrak, and Jajpur to remain alert.