BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Thursday sounded alert for a medium level flood in Mahanadi river and asked at least five districts in the coastal and deltaic region to ramp up evacuation and relief measures.
In the last three days, two people died after heavy rains lashed the state.
The government said at least 15,000 people have been affected in 264 panchayats of 11 districts so far. The districts evacuated 4,151 people and shifted them to safer places.
Now with about 9 lakh cusec water likely to pass through Mundali barrage later in the day, low-lying areas and those located close to the river banks in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri and Khurda districts are also very likely to get impacted by the flood. In Cuttack, the flood water discharge affected several villages on the day. In Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri and Khurda districts, the administration started shifting people to safer places as the peak water flow is expected to reach by Thursday night.
“A medium level flood is expected in Mahanadi due to the incessant rains in Boudh and Phulbani and not because of water discharge from Hirakud dam. No gate of the dam will be opened and the flood waters are expected to enter the sea by Friday evening," said Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu.
Meanwhile, the government confirmed two deaths in Keonjhar and Jajpur districts. While a person died from drowning in Jajpur, another succumbed after a wall collapsed due to the heavy rains in Keonjhar.
About 106 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, National Disaster Response Force and Odisha Fire and Emergency Service have already been deployed in 16 districts including Cuttack and Khurda. Senior engineers of the Department of Water Resources have also been deployed to monitor the floods in Mahanadi river.
About 4,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in Keonjhar, Jajpur, Balasore, Phulbani and Boudh districts due to flood-like situation in many rivers and tributaries following incessant rains. Two panchayats of Nayagarh were cut off from Gania block due to flood water overtopping the roads.
The Baitarani river which caused damage in coastal and northern districts continues to flow above the danger level.
According to officials, the water level is expected to recede by Thursday night. The river is flowing at 19.66 m against its danger level of 18.33 m.