Puri: State Planning Board Deputy Chairman Sanjay Das Burma Saturday reviewed the preparedness of Puri district administration to meet any possible flood-like situation.
This comes in the wake of the water levels in several rivers in Puri district, including Daya, Bhargavi, Ratnachira, Luna and Makara, rising alarmingly following the release of floodwater into Mahanadi from Hirakud dam, sources said.
Das Burma asked the officials to keep an eye on the unsafe embankments of the above said rivers in Puri district.
It is expected that around five lakh cusec of floodwater from Mahanadi would pass through the rivers in Puri district to reach Chilika lake. “The Puri district may witness a medium-scale flood. The administration should make all arrangement to provide drinking water, essential commodities and healthcare facility to the flood-affected people. Besides, there should be proper planning to conduct the rescue and relief work,” Das Burma said at the meeting.
The Planning Board deputy chief also asked the Revenue department officials to take stock of crop damage if the district witnesses a flood in the coming days.
The district administration has, meanwhile, deployed a unit of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at Delang and Kanas and a unit of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) at Brahmagiri to meet any eventuality.
Earlier, Puri Collector Balwant Singh had asked all the Block Development Officers (BDOs), Tehsildars and officers in charge of police stations in the district to maintain high alert for fighting possible floods. “The administration is ready to face any eventuality,” Singh said.