8-, 2005 - 01: 0
Mahanadi, Kathjodi on spate; two swept away in Kendrapada

Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in Orissa has assumed alarming proportions due to incessant rains caused by the southwest monsoon that has become active for the second time in the state.

While heavy downpour since Thursday has resulted in the gradual rise of water level of Brahmani, Baitarani, Mahanadi and Kathjodi rivers.

Though water level in Brahamani and Baitarani had remained static, reports reaching here, have said that the water level of Mahanadi and its tributary Kathjodi was constantly on the rise.
Meanwhile, the Hirakud dam authorities opened seven sluice gates on Sunday afternoon in view of the flood situation in the upper catchment areas.

Reports from Jajpur district said that one person has died of house collapse while two others died of diarrhoea.
Besides, two persons were swept away by the raging floodwaters in Kendrapada.

According to Met office sources, Ambahana received the highest rainfall with 30 cm followed by Pallahara with 26 cm, Bargarh-21 cm, Bijepur-20 cm, Khairamal and Rengali-19 cms each, Phulbani-15 cm and Sambalpur-14 cm.

At Jenapur, water level of Brahmani river was flowing above the danger mark while at Akhuapada and Anandpur, water level of Baitarani river was flowing above the danger mark.

However, water level of these two rivers at these places had remained more or less static till 9 PM on Sunday.However, at Naraj, water level of river Mahanadi was flowing just 80 cm below the danger mark.

At Mundali, while 6.90 lakh cusecs of Mahanadi river water was flowing through the barrage by noon, it went up to 8,88,140 cusecs at 9 PM on Sunday.
Similarly, at Khairamal, 4.60 lakh cusecs of water was flowing through the barrage.
At Hirakud, water level of the reservoir has gone up to 612.72 feet.

The reservoir was receiving 4,19, 449 cusecs of water per second while 1,26,556 cusecs of water was being released through seven sluice gates.
At Rengali, water level of the reservoir has gone up to 117.10 metres.

The reservoir was receiving 2270.10 cusecs of water per second while 702.22 cusecs of water was being released at the same time.
In Jajpur there have been eight breaches while floodwaters were flowing over the river embankments in Bhadrak.

A total of 8.54 lakh in Jajpur and Bhadrak districts have been affected by the flood.
Besides, the floodwaters have inundated 780 hectares land in Bhadrak district and 671.74 hectares of land in Jajpur district.

This apart, five panchayats each in Banki and Athgarh blocks in Cuttack district have been surrounded by floodwaters, the reports added.

Meanwhile, water level of Mahanadi and its tributaries are expected to go up further following the possibility of heavy rains in the upper catchment areas by Tuesday night.

According to Met office, the low depression, that had centred on Keonjhar since
Saturday, has been moving northwest.Revenue minister Manmohan Samal had a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat here on Sunday evening.

The meeting decided to instruct the collectors of the flood-hit districts to remain on high alert and take appropriate measures by providing relief and rescue works on war-footing.

Among others, principal secretary, revenue Tarunkanti Mishra, water resources secretary Upendra Prasad Singh, deputy relief commissioner Naba Kumar Nayak, chief engineers of works and water resources department and other high officials were present at the meeting.