A relentless spell of heavy rainfall drenched several districts of Odisha on Saturday, triggering rising water levels in major rivers and raising flood concerns across the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more downpour in the coming days with a low-pressure area likely to form over the Bay of Bengal around August 25.
Districts including Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, and Bargarh recorded heavy rainfall, causing rivers like the Baitarani and Mahanadi to swell dangerously. Downstream communities are on notice after officials reported that Mahanadi’s upper catchment areas received a lot of rain in the past 24 hours.
Hirakud Dam Gates Opened
Authorities at the Hirakud Dam acted swiftly to regulate the reservoir level by opening eight sluice gates. The dam’s water stood at 621 feet, just 9 feet below its full reservoir capacity of 630 feet. If rainfall continues as forecasted, more gates may be opened to ease pressure.
The dam’s release has also sparked fear among low-lying villages downstream, prompting disaster management teams to remain on standby.
Rivers Rising Beyond Danger Marks
With intense rainfall in Sundergarh and Keonjhar, the Baitarani river touched its danger mark of 18.33 metres near Akhuapada, posing flood risks to Bhadrak district. Similarly, the Subarnarekha river at Rajghat is currently at 7.13 metres and is expected to cross the 9.45-metre warning level by Sunday morning (August 24), according to official statements.
Balasore district authorities have been asked to remain vigilant as Subarnarekha’s water level continues to rise.
Fresh Low-Pressure Threat Looms
In its Saturday evening bulletin, the IMD confirmed that a fresh low-pressure system is expected to form over the northwest Bay of Bengal near Odisha-West Bengal coasts on August 25. Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to lash multiple parts of Odisha until August 28.
During this time, the IMD has issued orange and yellow warnings for over 20 districts, alerting citizens to be on the lookout for landslides, flash floods, and urban waterlogging.
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Authorities on High Alert
The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has directed all district collectors to initiate preparedness measures and field actions as per IMD forecasts. Emergency response teams are prepared for deployment, and flood monitoring systems have been turned on.
Director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty, reported that Odisha has so far received 803.3 mm of cumulative rainfall this monsoon against the average of 831 mm, marking a 3% deficit. The state is struggling with isolated surplus rainfall that poses a threat of flooding, despite the little deficiency.
