Odisha’s Engineer-in-Chief of Water Resources, Dillip Rout, firmly clarified on Monday that the recent flooding in the Kotpad region of Koraput district was entirely a natural occurrence driven by heavy rainfall, rather than a man-made disaster.
Addressing a special press conference, Rout stated, “The floods in the Kotpad area are not man-made. They occurred due to sudden and heavy downpours.”
He noted that while the Indravati Dam’s gates had to be opened following rising water levels from continuous precipitation, the Bijapur anicut in neighbouring Chhattisgarh had not been opened at the time.
To ensure absolute transparency and factual alignment, official correspondence will soon be dispatched to the Engineer-in-Chief of Chhattisgarh’s Water Resources Department.
The clarification follows days of relentless rain across Koraput, which forced the opening of three gates at the Indravati reservoir and inundated low-lying pockets in Kotpad block, including Asana and Bania villages, cutting off vital road connectivity.
Local administration, alongside Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Services teams, was immediately mobilised to execute rescue operations and manage relief camps.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, visited the Chandili panchayat in Kotpad block to review relief operations and interact directly with affected villagers, directing local officials to fast-track assistance.
Although opening the Indravati reservoir gates for safety temporarily affected low-lying areas across Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Water Resources Department maintains that calling it a man-made disaster is factually incorrect.
Authorities continue to track weather patterns and coordinate interstate data.
