The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil has said the flood situation in Odisha is likely to improve within the next three days, with most rivers flowing below danger levels except the Subarnarekha.
In a press conference, the SRC informed that 124 medical teams are working on the ground amid concerns over rising health issues, including a possible increase in snakebite cases. Snakebite antivenom injections are available at all locations. So far, 99 snakebite cases and 30 diarrhoea-like cases have been reported.
Over the last 24 hours, the state recorded an average rainfall of 3 mm. The Brahmani river at Jenapur was flowing at 21.38 metres against a danger level of 23 metres as of Thursday morning. The Baitarani at Akhuapada stood at 17.98 metres (danger level 18.33 metres) at 9 am. The Budhabalanga at National Highway was at 5.76 metres against a danger mark of 8.13 metres. The Jalaka river is also flowing below the danger level. Significant improvement has been seen in Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Baleshwar’s Sadar and Remuna blocks. Further improvement is expected in the next 12 hours, the SRC said.
Water levels in the Subarnarekha rose due to inflows from Jharkhand, peaking at 11.82 metres at Rajghat around 3 am (against 10.36 metres earlier). By 9 am, it had come down to 11.60 metres and is projected to reach 10.45 metres by 6 pm. High water levels have created flood-like conditions in Baliapal, Bhogarai and Jaleswar blocks. Floods have affected six districts, impacting 34 blocks, 226 panchayats, 743 villages and 12.87 lakh people. More than 87,000 people have been evacuated. Cooked food is being provided at 185 relief centres. Baleshwar district has seen the highest impact with 28,000 people affected, followed by 1.90 lakh in 36 panchayats of Bhadrak and 31,000 in Jajpur.
Authorities have distributed 940 metric tonnes of cattle feed in the flood-affected areas. Repair work on breaches along the Baitarani and Salandi rivers has also begun. Meanwhile, the government has issued a show-cause notice to Baitarani Power Projects Private Limited (BPPL) for allegedly creating uncontrolled flood conditions in the lower reaches of the Baitarani river by opening barrage gates in an arbitrary and irregular manner during peak and flash floods for power generation.
The Water Resources Department has directed the Chief Construction Engineer of the Anandapur Barrage Project to take strict action. BPPL has been asked to explain why action should not be taken against it for irresponsible gate operations that caused sudden rises in water levels and artificial flooding downstream. The company has also been instructed to fully empty the barrage before major flood situations to protect downstream areas from inundation.
