Odisha minister asks officials to begin assessment of crop loss due to heavy rain

Bhubaneswar, Jul 7 (PTI) As Odisha experienced depression induced rains for three consecutive days, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari has asked officials to begin assessment of crop loss due to heavy downpour. Pujari, during a review meeting on Monday, said the affected farmers should be provided compensation within 24 hours of assessment of crop damage caused by continuous rainfall. The minister said the state government was fully prepared if at all there is a flood in Baitarani or any other rivers. Acknowledging that incessant rains have caused crop damage in a few areas, the minister said that the district administrations have been directed to immediately conduct surveys, assess the extent of crop loss and submit reports to the Revenue and Disaster Management Department. The minister said that after the conclusion of the Rath Yatra, a detailed review meeting with all 30 district administrations will be convened to discuss preparedness and management strategies for all possible disasters arising from continued rainfall. Jajpur district reported at least two breaches in the embankment of the Kani River, a distributary of the Baitarani River, at Kantapada in Dasarathpur block of the district. While one breach is 70 feet long, the second one was 50 feet. The flood water has submerged a nearby agricultural field, a revenue department official said, adding that the inundation has been reported in several panchayats, including Malikapur, Duduraanta, Shushua, Mangalpur and Kanikapada. Floodwater has also entered some low-lying areas. Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout admitted that the flood water has topped the embankments in two places and submerged some agricultural land in Jajpur district. He, however, said that there is no such worry as the water level at Akhuapada in river Baitarani is in a receding trend and running below the danger mark. "Since there is no more rain today, the situation is well under control," he said. Rout said the first spell of rains this monsoon season has caused no such flood threat across Odisha as the water level in the rivers like Mahanadi, Devi, Jalaka, Kushabhadra, Rushikulya and Ib rivers remains below the danger level, though the incessant rains for the past few days lashed the entire state. Asked about the Mahanadi situation, the Engineer-in-Chief said that the authorities may open some sluice gates of Hirakud dam as inflow to the reservoir is gradually increasing. The water level in Hirakud now stands at 606.12 feet against the full reservoir level (SRL) of 630 feet. "We plan to release some excess water from Hirakud dam on July 9 after the rainwater passes through the Mahanadi river. The present inflow to the dam is now around 1.80 lakh cusec, which could increase to 2.5 lakh cusec in a day," he said. Rout said the water level at Mundali near Cuttack in the river Mahanadi is now 3.26 lakh cusec, which will touch around 4.5 lakh cusec after release of excess water from Hirakud dam on July 9. "If the water level at Mundali touches 5 lakh cusec, then only one can expect a minor flood in the Mahanadi river system," he explained. PTI AAM AAM RG