Floodwaters have inundated more than 24,000 hectares of farmland in the state
The overflowing Hirakud reservoir on the Mahanadi in Odisha. Photo: Ashis Senapati More rain is expected for the remainder of this week over the flood-hit Mahanadi basin in Odisha, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said August 17, 2022. Already, 200,000 people have been impacted after floods struck the basin in the earlier part of the week.
A low pressure area (LPA) is likely to form over the northern part of the Bay of Bengal around August 19. The LPA will form under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over southern Myanmar and its neighbourhood, HR Biswas, director of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre of the IMD, said.
Read Thousands marooned in Odisha as Mahanadi basin floods due to heavy rain
Squally weather, with gusty surface wind speed reaching 45-55 kilometres per hour, is likely over northern and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal during August 19 and 20 under the influence of the LPA, Biswas added.
Such weather is also anticipated along and off the Odisha coast August 20, he said.
Thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur at one or two places in the next 24 hours over 17 districts of Odisha. Heavy rainfall (7-11 centimetres) is likely to occur at isolated places over 20 districts of the state.
On August 19, heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) is likely to occur at isolated places over 17 districts, Biswas said. Besides, heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) is very likely to occur at isolated places over 13 districts, he added.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Mahanadi basin remained grim August 17. Water levels in all major rivers across Odisha rose after officials opened 40 sluice gates of the Hirakud dam to release floodwaters.
The Mahanadi was flowing at 27 metres August 17 against the danger mark of 26.41 metres at Naraj in Cuttack district. The swelling Devi also breached the 11.76-metre danger mark and flowed at 12.06 metres at Alipingal.
Floodwaters have inundated more than 24,000 hectares of farmland, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner, Pradeep Kumar Jena, said.
“As many as 1,366 villages in 369 Gram Panchayats have been affected in this flood. These Panchayats come under 49 blocks in 10 flood-affected districts along the Mahanadi basin.
So far, around 27,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas and shifted to safe shelters. At least 237 villages have been marooned,” Jena said.
The local administration is running free kitchens, around 90 of which cater to more than 27,000 people in these 10 districts.
“Preliminary assessment revealed that around 707 houses have been damaged. Similarly, 45 wards of nine urban local bodies are affected. Heavy rains have also affected around 353 villages of 175 Panchayats in 43 blocks,” he added.
Jena said district administrations and engineers of the water resources department were working around the clock to tackle the situation.
“Rescue operations are also underway by the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, National Disaster Response Force and fire service personnel. These levels of floodwaters were last seen a decade ago,” he said.
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