Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: A flood threat loomed over several parts of Odisha on Friday as water levels in the Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha rivers continued to rise amid widespread rainfall, while the Baitarani river crossed the danger mark at Akhuapada, prompting the Water Resources Department to closely monitor the situation.
Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said water levels in several rivers had been rising for the past two days due to continuous rainfall across different parts of the state.
The Baitarani at Akhuapada crossed its danger level of 18.33 metres on Friday morning. The water level reached 18.66 metres and was expected to rise further during the day. Rout said the river level could touch around 19.2 metres by 7 pm before gradually beginning to recede.
“Water levels in several rivers have been rising due to rainfall over the past two days,” Rout said while speaking to the media in Bhubaneswar.
The rainfall was widespread across the state. According to data recorded up to 9 am on Friday, around 100 mm of rainfall had been recorded at 63 locations, while 161 places had received more than 50 mm of rain.
The Water Resources Department was also keeping a close watch on the situation in southern Odisha, particularly the major reservoirs. The storage level of the Indravati reservoir in Nabarangpur increased from around 84 per cent before the low-pressure system to 94 per cent following heavy rainfall.
To regulate the rising water level, five gates of the Indravati reservoir were opened. Rout said there had been no rainfall in the area since Friday morning.
Meanwhile, the storage level of the Upper Kolab reservoir in Koraput increased from around 50 per cent to 67 per cent. No gates were opened at Upper Kolab as sufficient storage space was still available in the reservoir, Rout said.
The department continued to monitor river levels, reservoir storage and rainfall conditions across the state amid the prevailing weather system.
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