BHUBANESWAR: At least 1.20 lakh people have been affected in 762 villages of 15 districts and 66 wards of 17 urban local bodies in Odisha so far following flood in Mahanadi river system. Over 6,834 people in flood-affected districts have been shifted to safer places.
The intensity of the flood has dropped lately. However, a breach in an embankment was reported at Teramanpur in Jagatsinghpur district on Friday. The Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office said about 7.43 lakh cusec water is passing through the Mundali barrage.
So far, the floods have affected at least nine panchayats in the Banki and Tigiria blocks of the Cuttack district. The SRC office said the water level is rising in the Daya River and it could affect the low-lying areas in Puri and Khurda districts on the day.
“Water has receded at Mundali barrage. The peak flood water is currently passing through Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts. A breach took place in Teramanpur and water entered into the agricultural fields, while small breaches (piping) were reported in three to four places of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts,” said SRC Satyabrata Sahu. The water level is increasing in Daya and Bhargavi rivers and the Collectors have been asked to closely monitor the situation, he said.
Piping was also reported in the Makara River in the Khurda district. The flood in the Baitarani river system has also affected several villages in Bhadrak’s Dhamnagar and Bhandaripokhari blocks. However, the river’s water level is receding.
Meanwhile, the water level in Hirakud dam stood at 615.21 ft at 8 am on Friday and it has been rising since the last few hours.
“The inflow in Hirakud dam is increasing and most likely some gates will be opened later in the day. The water discharged from the dam will reach Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts in two to three days and it will not create any problem as there is no heavy rainfall forecast for the next five days,” said Sahu.
