Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Wednesday rejected the opposition’s charge that the widespread flooding in Ganjam district following last month’s Cyclone Arnab was ‘manmade’, pointing out that unprecedented rainfall over three consecutive days had caused the deluge.
Asserting that there was no lapse in flood management and operations of reservoir gates, Chief Secretary Anu Garg expressed satisfaction that the state government has ensured “zero casualty” that can be attributed to the deluge.
Eleven people died in Odisha, while six were still missing in incidents linked to Cyclone Arnab that made landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh October 28.
BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has described the flood in Ganjam district after the very severe cyclone as “manmade” and demanded accountability for people’s suffering “caused by lapses” in the BJP government’s handling of the calamity.
The former chief minister alleged that despite the weather department’s warning, the water levels of dams were not monitored.
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Pointing out that standard operating procedure dictates that adequate water from dams must be released before the onset of rains, he said, “In the case of Ganjam, water from dams was released after the onset of heavy cyclonic rains. This compounded the floods and caused huge loss of life and property.”
Nixing the allegation, the chief secretary said, “Let me clarify, unprecedented rainfall for three consecutive days was responsible for the recent floods in Ganjam district. There was absolutely no lapse in flood management and gate operations.”
After reviewing the relief and restoration works in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts, severely hit by floods in the aftermath of the cyclone, she told reporters, “The visiting central team, which also comprised a member from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, told us after field assessment that the flood was due to unprecedented rains.”
However, chief secretary Garg, who was also in charge of the water resources department during her tenure, rejected the allegations of lapses in flood management.
Defending the state government’s handling of the calamity, Garg said Ganjam district witnessed exceptionally heavy rainfall, with the Patrapur block recording 546 mm of rain in a day.
Rainfall was the highest in the area since 1990 and 2013. Apart from Patrapur, many places in the district received above 300 mm of rain during the period, the chief secretary said.
Garg said ensuring the safety of water reservoirs was “supreme” for the government and explained that decisions on opening gates to discharge excess water from dams were taken in view of the situation and to ensure dam safety.
She said that 6,907 cumecs (cubic meters per second) accumulated at the Purusottampur gauge station of the Rushikulya river, which is double the water carrying capacity of the river.
“As such, the dams could regulate only 10 per cent of the water that reached Purusottampur gauge station while 90 per cent flowed directly through the river. The flood was not due to the 10 per cent of the excess water, but much higher than that,” Garg said.
Admitting that the flood has caused extensive damage, the chief secretary expressed satisfaction that the state government has ensured “zero casualties” that can be attributed to the deluge.
The BJD hit back, with its Media Coordinator Lenin Mohanty demanding strong action against the water resources secretary.
“The BJD demands strong action against water resources secretary Subha Sharma and advises the chief secretary to leave her post if she is unable to know anything. In four successive floods, this government has failed to live up to the expectations of people,” he said in a statement.
Odisha witnessed three successive floods in Subarnarekha, Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalang, Jalaka and other small rivers in the northern parts of the state during the monsoon this year.
The opposition Congress had also blamed the BJP government for the flood in Ganjam, with former chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra alleging that lack of sincerity on the part of authorities caused people’s miseries. “Had there been effective handling of the situation, the impact of the flood could have been much less severe.”
About the government’s restoration works, the chief secretary said that power supply had been restored to all areas in Ganjam, with 99.99 per cent of consumers now receiving electricity. “While the drinking water issue was resolved within two days, power restoration had been completed within three days,” Garg said.