Flooding Crisis in Odisha: Rivers Overflow as Authorities Take Action

Severe Flooding in Odisha's Low-Lying Areas

Bhubaneswar: Officials reported that swollen rivers have inundated low-lying regions in Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur districts of Odisha, leading to a flood-like scenario on Sunday.

According to a senior government official, the Subarnarekha, Baitarani, and Jalka rivers are currently at or exceeding their danger levels.

Chandra Sekhar Padhi, the engineer-in-chief of the Water Resources Department, informed the media that the Baitarani River reached 19.09 meters at 2 AM on Sunday, surpassing the danger threshold of 18.33 meters. Fortunately, the water level began to decline early in the morning, now measuring 18.54 meters. This rise in water has resulted in flooding in parts of Bhadrak and Jajpur districts.

In Bhadrak district, floodwaters have entered residential areas in Dhamnagar as the Baitarani River exceeded its danger level.

The Jalaka River also posed a risk, with its level at 6.67 meters at Mathani, just above the danger mark of 6.50 meters. However, it too has started to show a downward trend.

Meanwhile, the Subarnarekha River was recorded at 10.2 meters, slightly below the danger level of 10.36 meters at Rajghat in Balasore district.

Padhi anticipates that the water level may rise to 11.4 meters by Sunday night, potentially affecting the Bhogari, Baliapal, Basta, and Jaleswar blocks in Balasore district.

Despite these developments, Padhi dismissed the likelihood of a significant flood event, noting that rainfall has decreased, with no block receiving over 50 mm of rain on Saturday.

The government has announced that residents in vulnerable areas have been relocated to safer locations by district administrations.

Collectors from Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore have been instructed to accelerate evacuation and relief efforts as necessary to manage the local flooding.

A state flood cell within the Water Resources Department is operational around the clock, closely monitoring the situation. Two chief engineers have been assigned to oversee the Subarnarekha and Baitarani river basins.

Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj has visited various sites along the Baitarani embankment in Bhadrak district, while the Jajpur collector and senior officials have assessed vulnerable areas in Nuapatna of Dasarathpur block.

A breach was identified on the right bank of the Jambhira River embankment at Bodhi in the Rasgovindpur block of Mayurbhanj district, which has since been sealed with sandbags.

Additionally, heavy rainfall has triggered landslides in Sundargarh district, obstructing the Koida-Chunaghati stretch of NH-520. Authorities promptly cleared the debris to restore access to the highway.