No Flood Threat To Odisha, Except Jalaka River: Water Resources Dept

Bhubaneswar : Apart from Jalaka river, all other rivers in Odisha were reported to be flowing below the danger level marks as of Tuesday morning. However, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rain in coming days because of the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal and hence Odisha remains on high alert.

Jyotirmay Rath, Engineer-in-Chief, Water Resources Department said, “Only Jalaka was flowing above the danger level. There is no prediction of rainfall in Mahanadi upstream in Chhattisgarh for the next five days. Similarly, there is no prediction for rainfall as well in Jharkhand which otherwise would have resulted in the flooding of Brahmani and Baitarani. As of today, we have no flood alert in Odisha.”

Notably, heavy rainfall has been predicted for Odisha as a low pressure formed over the Bay of Bengal yesterday. And the district administrations have been put on high alert and keep a tab on the situation.

Several places which have a weak river embankment have been packed with sandbags, bamboo and such. Meanwhile, the administration is keeping an eye on the embankments which were repaired last year; added Rath.

At 10 am today, Jalaka was reportedly flowing at 6.24 metres at Mathani with the danger level marked at 5.50 metres. Meanwhile, Subarnarekha at Rajghat was flowing at 8.40 metres whereas the danger level is marked at 8.33 metres.