Bhubaneswar, Sept. 9: The coastal belt of the state braced for severe floods with water released from the Hirakud reservoir in Samabalpur expected to reach the Mundali barrage in Cuttack tomorrow. Floods have already claimed eight lives in the state.
Responding to the situation, chief secretary Bijay Patnaik said: “We are going to face major floods in the Mahanadi delta as water released from the Hirakud reservoir will reach Cuttack by tomorrow morning. However, we are confident of tackling the situation. The administration has been put on high alert.”
Worried over the worsening flood situation and the imminent crisis, the Orissa government today sent an SOS to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and the ministry of defence asking them to remain in a state of preparedness. They might be summoned to join rescue operations in case the situation worsened on Saturday. The special relief commissioner Pradeepta Mohapatra today held two rounds of talks on this issue with the MHA and defence officials, sources said.
The state government said because of heavy rainfall in the upper catchments of Mahanadi, especially in Chhattisgarh, 11.05 lakh cusecs of water was now entering the reservoir and 9.79 lakh cusecs of water was being discharged from the Hirakud reservoir through 59 sluice gates.
So far, 1,437 villages of 39 blocks and eight urban local bodies in 14 districts are inundated while 8,357 houses have been damaged. Water has entered many areas in Sambalpur, Sonepur, Athagarh and Banki in Cuttack and Nayagarh. With water level of Daya river close to the danger level, Kakatpur and Astarangpur have been affected.
Reacting to the worsening flood situation, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: “We are monitoring the situation. The administration has been geared up and food stocks have been kept ready at all the vulnerable points.” Minister Surya Narayan Patro expected water discharge to recede as rainfall is likely to decrease in catchment areas.
, “We are worried about the discharge of water into the sea. As the full moon falls on September 12, it is expected that water discharge into the sea will decrease.”
Patro added as the low pressure had moved from Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand, upper catchments of Mahanadi was likely to experience less rain. “It would be a great relief for the state,” he said.
