Mahanadi swells as Hirakud Dam continues water release; 10 Odisha districts on high alert, 8 lakh people affected

Published 2 August 2026 · india

Ten districts in Odisha downstream of the Mahanadi river have been placed on high alert as the Hirakud Dam continues to release water through 22

Ten districts in Odisha downstream of the Mahanadi river have been placed on high alert as the Hirakud Dam continues to release water through 22 gates, with chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi saying the floods have affected around 8 lakh people across the state. While the flood situation in northern Odisha has begun to improve, authorities remain on alert in the Mahanadi delta region, where sustained water discharge from the Hirakud Dam has inundated several low-lying areas, according to PTI. 10 districts on high alert According to reports, the downstream districts placed on high alert are Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Angul, Boudh, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Nayagarh. The Special Relief Commissioner said special focus is being given to Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada, which have been identified as highly vulnerable because of their location in the Mahanadi delta.

The water level at the Hirakud Dam stood at 625.47 feet, against its full reservoir capacity of 630 feet. Officials said both inflow and outflow had stabilised at below 4 lakh cusecs. Flood situation improves in northern Odisha Majhi conducted an aerial survey of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts along with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil. "The flood waters have started receding in the region and the situation is improving. The flood situation may improve further in maybe two more days," the chief minister told reporters. However, officials said villages in Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur remain marooned as the Mahanadi and its tributaries continue to swell following the dam's water release. Over 2.69 lakh evacuated, relief operations underway The chief minister said 2.69 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas and accommodated in around 700 relief camps.

"The recent floods have impacted around 8 lakh people and many villages are still marooned even though water levels in different rivers were coming down," Majhi said. This year's floods have affected 20 districts, damaging civic infrastructure, agricultural land and more than 1,300 houses, with Bhadrak emerging as the worst-hit district, followed by Jajpur, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. Majhi directed officials to complete damage assessment within 72 hours after floodwaters recede and assured affected families of a comprehensive relief package. Rescue teams deployed The state government said it is following a "Zero Casualty" approach to flood management. According to Majhi, Odisha has deployed 17 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), seven Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, and 129 fire and emergency services teams for rescue and relief operations.