Orissa floods continue to trouble coastal districts

With 14 lakh people caught in the grip of severe flood and at least 877 villages marooned in 9 district of the state, the government bank on receding water levels to reach out to people in the cut-off area.

Not only Mahanadi, its tributary Brahmani is also flowing above the danger level at different places.

According to latest report 16 persons death has been confirmed and 7 are still missing in the heavy flood. Costal districts Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Balasore, and Bhadrak are severely affected due to this massive flood.

Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaiak made an aerial survey of four coastal districts and indicated that the state government could seek Centre's assistance for flood relief.

There are at least 22 breaches along Mahanadi's embankments alone. However a hope arise as the flow of water into Hirakuda dam is decreasing. The flood are likely to subside with the flow of water into the dam reservoir coming down to 6,38,000 cusec. The official said the situation would further improve provided there is no rain and the flow does not increase.

As the calamity is griping the state day by day, the floods in the Mahanadi river system have once again fueled criticism over the water management with experts calling for an renovating of the Strategy.

Ranjan Panda, an activist of Water Initiative Orissa, accused that it was the mismanagement of the dam authority that led to large scale devastation.

“Although the Government has put the responsibility of the flood on heavy downpour at the upper catchments and release of water from Chhatisgarh, it was aware of the predictions by the IMD,” Panda said. “It proves that the dam management authority has not been following a coordinated approach with Chhatisgarh and IMD.”