Odisha Braces for Mahanadi Flood Surge

In light of recent heavy rains, Odisha is gearing up for a significant volume of floodwater expected to flow into the Mahanadi river near Cuttack on Sunday. The Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department, Chandrasekhar Padhi, informed that this is a result of persistent torrential rainfall leading to rising water levels.

"We anticipate that approximately 5.5 lakh cusecs of floodwater will enter the river near Mundali by Sunday evening," stated Padhi. Consequently, the Water Resources Department has intensified surveillance of the river embankments, alerting district collectors in potentially affected areas.

While the floodwater is projected to traverse without directly impacting human settlements, some low-lying regions may face water-logging. Efforts to manage the situation include the release of excess water from the Hirakud Dam through 20 gates, with close monitoring of water levels across all regional rivers.

(With inputs from agencies.)