Baitarani and Subarnarekha continue to flow above danger mark

Bhubaneswar: The Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers in northern Odisha continue to flow above their danger marks, reveled the latest river water level data of the state government.

The continue to water flow of both Subarnarekha and Baitarani rivers above their danger mark have  raised significant flood concerns in several district Balasore, Bhadrak, and Jajpur districts.

Heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, particularly in Jharkhand for Subarnarekha and Mayurbhanj/Keonjhar for Baitarani, combined with water releases from upstream barrages like Galudih, has led to a flood-like situation in low-lying areas.

As per the data, the Subarnarekha River at Rajghat in Balasore was recorded surpassing the danger level of 10.36 meters. Some sources reported it reaching 11.17 meters by 6 PM, with an upward trend.

Floodwaters have inundated areas in Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta, and Baliapal blocks, affecting over 30 villages in Bhograi alone. The release of approximately 1.90 lakh cusecs of water from Jharkhand’s Galudih barrage has exacerbated the situation.

Likewise, the Baitarani River was flowing above the danger mark of 18.33 meters at Akhuapada in Bhadrak with levels reported as high as 18.50 meters earlier in the day.

As the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a ‘Yellow’ warning for Bhadrak district saying thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds with speeds reaching 30–40 km/h are very likely at isolated places in Bhadrak on August 25 and 26, a flood alerts have been issued for Dhamnagar and Chandbali blocks, with authorities monitoring potential embankment breaches.

Taking a serious note of the flood alerts, the Bhadrak district administration declared a two-day holiday for schools in four panchayats – Sahada, Arjunpur, Hasnabad, and Padhani – as a precautionary measure. A around 25 schools of these panchayats under Dhamnagar block will remain shut due to the flood-like situation in the area.