The water-level in Mahanadi and Baitarani is likely to further rise as the weather department forecast more rains in the next 24 hours.
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government put the collectors of six districts on high alert in the delta region, with the water level in Mahanadi and Baitarani rivers swelling due to depression-induced heavy rainfall, even as the death toll rose to 12.
“We should remain in a state of full preparedness to tackle any emergency situation and provide immediate relief to the affected people,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said after taking stock of the situation.
The districts which have been affected in the floods are Angul, Boudh, Bargarh, Deogarh, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Khurda, Koraput, Nayagarh, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Puri.
The authorities of the Hirakud reservoir have announced the season’s first flood water release tomorrow, which may add to the flood situation in the river Mahanadi system.
The water logging situation in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri has improved as rains stopped since yesterday, the officials said.The Water Resources Department has rushed mobile teams to keep a close watch on weak embankments and canals.
The state government has deployed 12 teams of Odisha Disaster Response Force (ODRAF), personnel of Fire Service and 5 teams of the NDRF have been pre-positioned in 5 districts namely Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jajpur (Barachana Block), Puri and Jagatsinghpur for emergency.
