Odisha Chief Minister to survey flood-hit districts and address Hirakud reservoir siltation

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is set to conduct an aerial survey of districts heavily impacted by severe rainfall and flooding. The inspection will focus on the Ganjam, Koraput, and Nabarangpur districts, where heavy precipitation has inundated low-lying areas and disrupted daily life. Accompanying the Chief Minister are Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil. Following the aerial survey, the delegation will perform ground assessments in Koraput to evaluate property damage, crop loss, and emergency response efficacy.

Separately, Chief Minister Majhi addressed concerns in the state Assembly regarding the Hirakud reservoir. He reported that the reservoir's total water storage capacity has decreased by 1.82 million acre-feet due to heavy silt deposition. This reduction includes a loss of 1.01 million acre-feet of dead storage and 0.81 million acre-feet of live storage compared to original project parameters. While the decline poses long-term risks to irrigation and flood management, the government has not yet detailed specific plans for silt removal.