Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt on Thursday warned of a possible flash-flood threat in the lower Mahanadi basin after the river crossed the warning level at Naraj near Cuttack following heavy upstream rain, even as floodwaters began receding in north Odisha.Revenue minister Suresh Pujari, after a high-level review, said they kept the administration on high alert with all preparations in place as a precautionary measure for a fresh Mahanadi system threat. Though outflow at Mundali was expected to touch nine lakh cusec by evening, records show a trouble situation would arise if outflow touches over 10 lakh cusec, he added.Moreover, Hirakud reservoir restricted its outflow with only two sluice gates, despite increased inflow, following heavy rainfall in the river upstream. The dam would keep the reservoir level at a maximum of up to 622ft against 630ft full reservoir level, Pujari said.With no major rain forecast from IMD till Aug 2, the minister said he hopes it would improve the flood situation.A govt official said people of at least five districts — Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Khurda — would be affected by the rising water level in Mahanadi and its branches.Engineer-in-chief of water resources department Dilip Kumar Rout said he directed officials to take positions in possible affected areas and remain alert as outflow at Mundali was expected to touch over nine lakh cusec. “Notwithstanding increasing inflow in Hirakud reservoir, we were trying to keep the maximum dam water level up to 622ft and would decide to open more sluice gates by Friday morning, only after observing the downstream position. The dam water level stood 620 feet,” he said.A preliminary report said flood water of the river Mahanadi and its branches had already submerged their catchments’ low-lying areas. The govt officials also warned of possible inundation in low-lying areas along the Mahanadi.Special relief commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil and district administrations are closely monitoring the situation, with instructions to keep emergency response teams on standby, inspect embankments and provide timely assistance. Authorities have urged residents to follow official advisories and avoid venturing into floodwaters.
