8 lakh Odisha residents caught in flood as Hirakud swells Mahanadi

Ten districts downstream of the Mahanadi River have been placed on high alert as the Hirakud Dam continues releasing water through 22 gates, with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi saying the floods have affected around 8 lakh people across the state.

Majhi said the flood situation in northern Odisha was gradually improving, but authorities remained focused on the vulnerable Mahanadi delta districts of Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara as water continued to flow downstream.

After conducting an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, the chief minister said floodwaters had begun receding and conditions were expected to improve further over the next two days.

He said around 2.69 lakh people had been evacuated from low-lying areas and moved to nearly 700 relief camps, while several villages remained marooned.

"The recent floods have impacted around 8 lakh people, and many villages are still cut off even though water levels in different rivers are coming down," Majhi said.

He directed officials to complete damage assessments within 72 hours after floodwaters recede and assured affected families of a comprehensive relief package.

According to officials, floods have affected 20 districts, damaging infrastructure, farmland and more than 1,300 houses, with Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore and Mayurbhanj among the worst-hit districts.

Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said 10 downstream districts of the Mahanadi basin were on alert, with special focus on the delta region. The other districts under watch are Angul, Boudh, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Nayagarh.

The water level at Hirakud Dam stood at 625.47 feet against its full capacity of 630 feet, while inflow and outflow had stabilised at below 4 lakh cusecs, officials said.

Majhi said the state had deployed 17 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams, seven National Disaster Response Force teams and 129 fire and emergency services teams for rescue operations under a "zero casualty" approach.