Finance
The flood situation in Odisha improved on Sunday as water levels in the state’s major rivers dropped, providing respite to the flood-hit districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Baleshwar, according to Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Er. Dillip Kumar Rout.
With no new rainfall reported in the impacted river catchments, the Engineer-in-Chief stated that submerged areas are gradually returning to normal, and no new flood threat is expected.
He also indicated that roughly two-thirds of the waterlogged areas have experienced a considerable drop in water levels. The lack of rainfall, he said, is expected to hasten the retreat of floodwaters in coming days.
Rout provided an update on the river situation, stating that the water level in the Baitarani River at Akhuapada was 17.29 metres, which is below the danger mark of 18.33 metres. At the Anandapur Barrage, the water level was 34.66 metres, compared to the danger level of 38.36 metres. Although a few gates of the barrage have been opened, just about 1,000 cubic meters of water are being released, which is well within acceptable limits and poses no flood risk, he said.
The Engineer-in-Chief also stated that the water level in the Salandi River near Rajghat Bridge in Bhadrak has receded to 12.60 feet, which is well below the danger level of 17 feet, suggesting that there is no flood crisis in the river basin.
In Baleshwar district, the Jalaka River near Mathani Road Bridge was running at 6.10 metres, well below the danger criterion of 6.50 metres, and the level remained stable. However, because the Basta and Sadar regions are so near to the sea, Rout believes floodwaters would take longer to disperse. High tides over the last two days have reduced the flow of extra water.
He added that only one gate of the Rengali Reservoir had been opened, releasing around 2,000 cumecs of water downstream. The release, he continued, is unlikely to cause a flood in downstream communities.
Overall, the flood situation in the state is stabilising. Authorities are closely monitoring river levels as relief and restoration efforts continue in the impacted districts.
