Odisha flood threat as Mahanadi discharge may reach 800,000 cusecs: Officials

A flood threat loomed over several low-lying areas of Odisha on Sunday as the Mahanadi river system was expected to see a discharge of up to 800,000 cusecs of water through Mundali by Monday morning, while major rivers in the northern districts continued to flow above danger levels, officials said.

Odisha Water Resources department engineer-in-chief Dillip Kumar Rout said around 700,000 cusecs of water was expected to flow through Mundali by Sunday night and the discharge could rise to 800,000 cusecs by 10am on Monday.

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The rising water levels are likely to affect low-lying areas of Khurda, Cuttack, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts as several rivers in the Mahanadi system, including the Luna, Karandia, Chitrotpala, Kathajodi and Kuakhai, are expected to experience flooding. Flooding is also likely in the Devi, Kandala, Kushabhadra, Daya, Bhargavi, Rajua and Makara rivers.

Meanwhile, the flood situation worsened in several parts of northern Odisha as the Baitarani, Salandi and Subarnarekha rivers continued to flow above danger levels, inundating villages, damaging farmland and disrupting road connectivity.

In Bhadrak district, the Baitarani was flowing at 18.77 metres at Akhuapada, above its danger level of 18.33 metres, while the Salandi at Rajghat was also flowing above the danger mark.

The two rivers have affected 41 panchayats in Bhandaripokhari, Dhamnagar and Tihidi blocks, while floodwater has entered parts of Bhadrak municipality.

The situation also deteriorated in northern Balasore, where several roads were submerged. In some areas, floodwater was flowing more than four feet above road levels, disrupting vehicular movement.

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In Mayurbhanj district, the embankment of the Gangahar river breached near Kunchibania village under Mangovindpur panchayat in Badasahi block, inundating large tracts of agricultural land.

Flooding has also been reported in the Banpur area of Khurda district following heavy rainfall and a rise in the water level of the Salia Dam.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday undertook an aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Ganjam, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts to assess the situation and the extent of damage.

He was scheduled to return to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at around 4.15pm after completing the aerial survey.