At least 14 villages in the districts of Sundergarh and Jharsuguda were inundated today due to depression-induced heavy rainfall even as IMD predicted further downpour in next 24 hours.
"There is a flash flood in the river Ib due to incessant rainfall in Sundergarh, Jharsuguda districts and also in the upper catchment area," Deputy Special Relief Commissioner (DSRC) Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra said.
The heavy rainfall for the past two consecutive days also affected a population of about 1,500 in the districts of Sundergarh and Jharsuguda, SRC officials said, adding, about 1,000 acres of agricultural land have been affected due to the flash flood in the Ib river.S
Other small rivers in the districts of Sundergarh and Jharsuguda were also swelling due to uninterrupted rainfall in the western region, they said.
While at least 17 houses were damaged in Sundergarh district according to the preliminary estimation, the report on
the house damage could not be availed from Jharsuguda district.
The flood water entered into ward number 1 of the Sundergarh municipality area.
"The flood water also entered into the district headquarters hospital at Sundergarh," Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) S K Kar said.
The depression over Jharkhand and adjoining North Chhattisgarh and Odisha moved Northwestwards and lay centered over Northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining southeast Uttar Pradesh.
"The system would move Northwestwards and weaken into a Well Marked Low Pressure Area during next 24 hours," said Sarat Sahu, the director of IMD, Bhubaneswar.
The IMD, however, predicted rain and thunder shower at many places over Odisha.
"Heavy Rainfall would occur at one or two places over the districts of North Odisha during next 24 hours," a bulletin issued by the IMD said.
Meanwhile, the Hirakud dam authority has announced that it will release flood waters in the river Mahanadi on July 13.
It said that the flood water would be released between 11 AM and 1 PM on July 13.
The water level of the dam at present is 607.39 feet while the optimum capacity is 630 feet.
