SRC alerts 10 Odisha districts of flood risks as Mahanadi flow remains high

Bhubaneswar, Aug 9: With the Mahanadi River at Mundali flowing at 5.78 lakh cusecs, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) issued an alert on Friday for collectors in 10 Odisha districts.

The districts under scrutiny include Sambalpur, Sonepur, Nayagarh, Angul, Boudh, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapada. Authorities have been advised to monitor low-lying areas closely, restrict access to submerged or potentially unstable roads, culverts, and bridges, and report any incidents immediately.

This morning, the Water Resources Department recorded a rise in water flow at Mundali, reaching 5.87 lakh cusecs by 6 a.m., which slightly decreased to 5.78 lakh cusecs by 8 a.m. Additionally, the Hirakud Dam has opened six more sluice gates to manage the increased floodwater from recent rains in the Mahanadi’s upper catchment. Currently, the dam is releasing water through 14 gates, with the water level at 612.25 feet out of its maximum capacity of 630 feet, and releasing 2,86,136 cusecs of water as of 6 a.m.