Odisha starts evacuating people as rivers swell due to heavy rain, Hirakud Dam opens 16 gates
The Odisha government today started shifting people in low-lying areas to safety as all rivers in the state have swelled due to heavy rainfall over the past few days, and the Hirakud Dam has opened 16 gates to release excess water into the Mahanadi, officials said.
Flash floods have been reported from Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Keonjhar and Jagatsinghpur districts.
In Balasore alone, 14,660 people in 91 villages were affected as rivers flowing in spate inundated vast swathes of land. An official said 3,268 people have been removed from these areas.
According to officials at the Water Resources Department, 11 more gates of the Hirakud Dam had to be opened today to release excess water from the reservoir. A total of 16 sluice gates have been opened, they said.
The Jalaka river was flowing at 6.78 m, against the danger level of 6.5 m at Mathani in Basta. Known as Balasore’s “sorrow”, the Subarnarekha river was also showing a rising trend, with water level at Rajghat in Jaleswar reaching 10.35 m against its danger level of 10.36 m.
Experts forecast that the water level could reach 11.74 m on Sunday (September 27, 2026).
The Budhabalanga river has also crossed its danger level of 8.13 metres at Govindpur NH-16 and is currently flowing at 8.64 metres.
Smaller rivers like Kansabansa, Soa and Gangahar are also in spate in Balasore, officials said.
In Jajpur, the overflowing Kani river, a branch of the Baitarani river, inundated Tarapada and Kapasi panchayats in Dasarathpur block.
Five gates of the Indravati project on the Hati river in Kalahandi district have been opened, discharging 550 cusec of water since Thursday night and flooding several blocks.
In Koraput, five panchayats in Kotpad block were inundated, while over 100 houses were damaged.
– PTI
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