Vamsadara river in full spate due to heavy downpour

District Administration put on alert

The unprecedented downpour in the catchment areas lying in Orissa, the Vamsadara river is in full spate. The district administration has been on high alert as heavy inflows are likely to reach Gotta barrage in the next couple of days following incessant rain. Initially, the officials anticipated nearly one lakh cusecs of water would reach the barrage causing tension among the people of 8 mandals.

As many as 86 villages will be affected if the inflows increase further but the inflow was confined to 50,945 cusecs by Thursday evening giving much relief to people and to the administration. The Irrigation Department released 50,945 cusecs of water into the sea. The district administration moved people to safer places despite some resisted evacuation measures taken by the Revenue department. Sources said that there was no human loss.

The District Collector, N Srikanth who visited Matala and Penugotivada said that food packets were being supplied to victims stranded in flood waters. Since there is no power supply, generators are also being sent to the villages and a control room has been set up to monitor relief and rescue operations in case of emergency. He said that the situation is under control. Meanwhile, villagers allege that the government failed to strengthen the embankments though they had sent several representations. Public representatives did not respond to the problems, they allege.