Bhubaneswar, June 26: The state government has identified 35 highly vulnerable points on river embankments in various parts of the state and asked an official to keep a close vigil because of heavy rainfall.
“We have identified 310 vulnerable points, of them 35 highly vulnerable, on the river embankments across the state, based on the previous experience. We have asked engineers and officials to patrol these points,” said state water resources secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra.
Odisha, crisscrossed by rivers, experiences floods almost every year. In the past five years, 273 persons have died in floods, an official source said.
Chairing the state-level committee meeting on natural calamity today, chief minister Naveen Patnaik directed the administrative machinery to be prepared to face any eventuality this monsoon.
“Monsoon has arrived early this year. Already, a few southern and western districts have been affected by heavy rain and flash floods. The administration should, therefore, be more alert in the coming days,” he said.
The chief minister asked the officials to be ready with adequate boats and food stock at the vulnerable areas. Food supplies minister Pratap Keshari Deb said that food stock would be stored in 14 flood-prone districts in advance.
Rural development minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said steps had been taken to provide drinking water in these areas.
A water resources department official said 234 breaches caused on the river embankments during 2011 high floods and 56 breaches caused in last year’s flood had been closed.
Special relief commissioner Pradipta Mohapatra said the district level calamity committee meetings had been held in all the 30 districts and contingency plans had been worked out. Women and child development minister Usha Devi said steps were being taken to shift the anganwadi centres in vulnerable areas to safer locations.
Patkura MLA Bed Prakash Agrawal and Balikuda-Ersama MLA Prasant Muduli suggested that the river embankments be maintained properly and budgetary provision be made for the purpose.
Jajpur MLA Pranab Prakash Das suggested that the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Forces be provided VHF sets. Apart from the contingency measures, permanent flood control programmes were also discussed.
Several members including leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh stressed on strengthening and raising the height of river embankments to prevent flooding.
The government had invested around Rs 700 crore to raise the height of river embankments so that the floodwater could pass safely in the deltaic region. These projects were expected to be completed within two years, said an official, adding that the height of the embankments was being raised higher than the mark recorded during the 2011 floods. Several members, including Bhograi MLA Ananta Das, demanded construction of more flood shelters in the flood-prone areas.
