Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Sunday conducted an aerial survey of areas in Ganjam and Koraput inundated by rivers flowing in spate following heavy rain that has badly hit 13 districts, where local authorities have started moving people to safety.
The Hirakud Dam Sunday opened two more sluice gates to discharge additional water entering the reservoir. The excess water is now being discharged through 24 gates. The water level in the reservoir is at 628.29 feet against the full reservoir level of 630 feet.
Chief engineer of the water resources department, Dilip Kumar Rout, said 7 lakh cusec of water will flow down the Mahanadi river to reach Mundali near Kataka Sunday night. It can increase to 8 lakh cusec by Monday morning, he said.
This would swell several of its tributaries and may flood Kataka, Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur and parts of Kendrapada districts, the chief engineer said.
By Saturday, the state government moved more than 70,000 people from low-lying areas and housed them in 395 relief camps as their villages came under water.
“Several areas of Banki, Atgah and Badamba in Kataka district will be inundated today,” Rout said, adding that low-lying areas in Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada districts could also be inundated.
Chief Minister Majhi conducted an aerial survey of Ganjam and Koraput districts with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and the state’s Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil. They then landed at Jeypore town in Koraput district and held a review meeting.
Officials said the chief minister is likely to take a boat to inspect affected villages in Nabarangpur district. Majh’s aerial survey was delayed by around two hours because of a technical snag in the helicopter, sources said.
The recent deep depression over the Bay of Bengal resulted in heavy rainfall and flooding in 13 districts — Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Kendujhar, Nayagada, Kandhamal, Balangir and Jagatsinghpur.
The coastal district of Baleshwar was among the worst hit as three major rivers were flowing above their danger level.
The water level of the Subarnarekha River was flowing at 11.68 metres at Jaleswar’s Rajghat at 6 am against the danger level of 10.36 metres. This has led to flooding in the villages in Bhograi, Jaleswar, Baliapal and Basta blocks, officials said.
The Budhabalang river was flowing above the danger level while other small rivers such as Kansabansa, Soa and Gangahar were also in spate in Balasore.
In Mayurbhanj, authorities of Similipal National Park have announced temporary closure of tourist destination Devkund as several streams and water channels have swelled significantly, an official said.
There were reports of severe floods in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts also.
