Odisha: Heavy rains in upper catchment areas of Mahanadi river

Bhubaneswar: With the Met department predicting more rainfall in the upper catchment areas of river Mahanadi, the authorities of Hirakud Dam on Monday opened 11 more gates to discharge water from the reservoir.

Keeping in view the heavy downpour in upper catchment areas of river Mahanadi, authorities of the Hirakud Dam on Monday opened 11 gates to release flood water taking the total number of gates opened for releasing flood water to 12. The water level in Hirakud reservoir stood at 608.12 feet till evening.

In the past 24 hours the upper catchment region of the dam had on an average received 51.14 mm of rains. Mahanadi's tributary Ib River has also received between 160 mm and 200 mm rainfall on an average in the last 24 hours in its catchment areas.

"Therefore, we have opened 12 gates in total to discharge additional water," said Rabindra Panda, superintending engineer of Hirakud Dam.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in northern Odisha eased as water receded from all marooned villages.

"Water from all villages which were marooned due to recent floods has been cleared, as reported by the District Collectors concerned," said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) GVV Sarma.

Waters from the Subarnarekha, Baitarani and Budhabalang rivers had affected five north Odisha districts. Sarma said the recent spell of floods have affected about 4.79 lakh people in 97 villages under 15 blocks in five districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore and five persons died due to the floods.

A bulletin from the IMD said the depression over Jharkhand and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha moved Southwest and weakened into a well marked low pressure and was lying over North Chhatishgarh and adjoining areas of Jharkhand and North interior Odisha.

Rain or thundershower may occur at most places over districts of Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj and at many places over rest of the districts in Odisha, the bulletin said.

This apart, the IMD in its warning said heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at one or two places over Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj districts and heavy rainfall at one or two places over rest of the districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours.