ROURKELA: With Brahmani river continuing to swell and flow above danger level at its originating point in Rourkela, about 300 residents of Balughat area were shifted to safety by Saturday evening while the administration continued its watch on the situation.
Continuous release of water from Mandira dam of Rourkela Steel Plant on Sankh river and inflow from Koel river is attributed to the flood in Brahmani.
According to Water Resources department, by 8 pm, the river crossed the warning level of 177.510 metre and danger mark of 178.420 metre and was flowing at 178.720 metre at Panposh.
Water level of Mandira dam reached 683.70 feet against the maximum capacity of 690 feet forcing release of 73,599 cusec against the inflow of 73,995 cusec. With the inflow increasing to 77,636 cusec by evening, the dam was releasing 77,655 cusec to maintain the water level at 683.5 feet.
To make things worse was the flood in Koel river originating in Jharkhand. With rise in water level of Koel, low-lying residential pockets along the river in Sundargarh district starting from Bisra block to parts of Rourkela till its meeting point Brahmani at Vedvyas were facing imminent flood threat.
Rourkela tehsildar Salma Majhi informed that evacuation of affected people of Balughat was sporadic during the morning but the number kept on rising and by the evening, around 300 persons were evacuated and sheltered in a government school. Cooked food was provided to them by the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC).
She said about 40 people of Hamirpur were also shifted to safety, while low-lying pockets at Luakera and Tumkela along Koel river were at threat and if needed, more people would be moved to safety.
Due to flood in Brahmani, farm fields along the downstream at Garjan and Buchamunda were inundated, while other areas in Bonai sub-division were also facing flood fear. Sundargarh district emergency officer (DEO) Ashwini Panda said due to a sudden rise in Ib river water level, some low-lying pockets in Sundargarh municipality limits were flooded. Flood water receded from Sundargarh town by Saturday afternoon and there was no report of loss of life from anywhere in the district.
Former councilor of Sundargarh municipality Himanshu Sekhar Sarangi said floodwater from Ib river started to affect Mahadevpada, Ranibagicha, pump house of WATCO at Satnajharan and WATCO office at Sundargarh town.