Principal Secretary Shubha Sharma visits Cyclone ‘Arnab’ Impact on Rushikulya River System

Paperman Media । Bhubaneswar, October 31 

As part of the ongoing assessment of the impact of Cyclone ‘Arnab’ on river systems and flood protection infrastructure, Smt. Shubha Sarma, Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, accompanied by Er. Dillip Kumar Rout, Engineer-in-Chief  visited the Rushikulya River gauge site at Purushottampur in Ganjam district to review the prevailing flood situation.

During the inspection, the river water level at the gauge site was recorded at 15.835 metres RL, just below the prescribed warning level. The team also inspected the washed-away portion of the Rushikulya Flood Bank and the head reach of the Main Canal at Hiradharabati Anicut near Hanumanpali to assess the extent of damage caused by the cyclone-induced flood situation.

She inspected the severely affected sites of Hiradharabhati Anicut, Janhibili Anicut, the Main Canals and the drinking water intake point.

During the field visit, the Principal Secretary interacted with local villagers and took stock of their concerns regarding the flood situation and damage to local infrastructure. Concerned officers were directed to undertake an accurate assessment and reporting of the embankment breach, supported by geo-tagged photographs. The officials were further instructed to expedite the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and initiate the necessary tendering process for timely restoration of the damaged flood bank.

The inspection was attended by the Chief Engineer, Drainage, other senior departmental officials and field-level engineering staff. The field assessment and directions are aimed at ensuring accurate documentation of the damage and expeditious planning for restoration of the affected flood protection infrastructure.