CM makes aerial survey; orders relief for 7-day
The State Government on Thursday heaved a sigh of relief as apprehension of a major flood in the downstream of the Mahanadi system spread over four vulnerable districts, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri, was averted following passing of floodwater below the projected 12 lakh cusecs at Mundali.
Though the volume of flood waters in the Mahanadi system would be reduced during the next 24 hours, the discharge is likely to increase up to 10.50 lakh cusecs and flood situation to remain steady for subsequent 18 hours after August 9 on the arrival of the eight lakh cusecs water from Hirakud and due to the impact of tidal wave for the full moon day, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradip Kumar Mohapatra said.
There is tremendous improvement in the overall flood situation and there is no apprehension of major floods in Mahanadi system, asserted Mohapatra, adding the road communication in the worst-affected Jajpur and Bhadrak districts would be restored within next 24 hours with the receding of the floodwaters.
On the other hand, the flood situation in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts continued to remain grim despite the river Baitarani and its tributaries showing a receding trend. More areas were inundated on Thursday due to the floodwater making life of lakhs of people a hell.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday afternoon made an aerial survey of five flood affected districts — Jajpur, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Kendrapada and Puri and directed the SRC to ensure provision of seven-day relief in the affected areas. The flood situation is improving and normalcy is likely to return in a week’s time, he hoped.
The flood has wreaked havoc in coastal, western, southern and north Odisha so far claiming 20 lives. The livestock casualty has been reported at 86.
Over 830 villages in the coastal Odisha were marooned in the flood water, said the SRC, adding around 2 lakh persons were still in the marooned areas.
An estimated 18 lakh people in 3,990 villages in 132 blocks under1,084 Gram Panchayats spread over 23 districts were affected. As many as 101 Wards of 22 Urban local Bodies also had a tryst with the worst floods. While crop areas of over two lakh hectares lay damaged, around 16,000 houses were damaged due to the calamity, according to preliminary reports, said the SRC.
While 69,430 people were evacuated, 243 free kitchens were running to at the rescue shelters to provide meals to 73,561 persons affected by the floods.
Except Mahanadi and its tributaries, floodwaters in all the major rivers in the State were falling, he said, adding that though there was no breach in the Mahanadi system, as many as 28 breaches occurred in Baitarani and Brahmani system.
The SRC said that though it was anticipated that peak floodwater of 12 cusecs would pass at delta head at Mundali on Wednesday night, the discharge was well within the safe limit i.e. 11 lakh cusecs. There is no cause of concern now and the possibility of high flood is ruled out, Mohapatra said.
The SRC claimed that a major flood was averted due to successful water management in the Hirakud reservoir. Quoting the local weatherman on the forecast of another low pressure on August 9, the SRC said that the low pressure area is likely to occur over north Odisha and under its impact there would be rainfall during next 24 hours. It would not affect the Mahanadi system, he said.
Meanwhile, considering less rain in the upper catchment and reduction of inflow to around six lakh cusecs, the Hirakud authorities closed six of the 50 gates and would close more gates on Thursday night to ease the flood problem in the downstream, he said.