Bhubaneswar, Jul 8: The Water Resources Department has issued a crucial update as river discharge volumes continue to rise across Odisha, prompting alerts at key locations.

Senior Engineer Chandrasekhar Padhy confirmed that 1.18 lakh cusecs of water were released from Mundali this morning at 6 am. The flow is expected to reach 4.50 lakh cusecs by this evening. However, the benchmark for potential flooding remains at 9 lakh cusecs.

In response to increasing water levels, 20 gates of the Hirakud Dam have been opened to manage inflow and outflow. Should rainfall intensify in the catchment areas, officials are poised to implement further measures.

Padhy noted that a yellow alert will be issued by tomorrow evening at Rajghat on the Subarnarekha River. Fortunately, the flow is not expected to rise significantly beyond that point, due to only 100 mm of rainfall recorded upstream.

He also clarified that no extraordinary water release has taken place from the Chandil Dam in Jharkhand. Meanwhile, two gates on the Brahmani River have been opened for controlled discharge.

Residents in low-lying regions and flood-prone areas have been advised to remain vigilant and monitor official updates. Authorities are coordinating closely to assess further developments in real time, especially if monsoon rains intensify across the state.

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