Mahanadi – Upper Catchment Flood Sept -

2011 On the upper side of the Hirakud Resorvoir

A never before incident happening in recent years

Mahanadi Catchment Area

Sources Group visits to the flood affected villagesWater Initiatives OrissaElectronic Media Friends who taken the risk of visiting the area during the maximum flood.We have not yet got the reports of Jharsuguda side of the Hirakud Dam.

Presented by Eye-Witnesses

Burda, Luka pada, Bhulumunda, Thenga GuDi, Tura, Porat, Rani Dihi, Nadi Gaon, Lipti, Ratanpali, Nuapada, Pihira, NaghanT

About 25 villages of Chhattisgarh affected. Beniapali, Ghughrapali, Budhipali, Chikhli,

Kusmuda, Badmal, Barangakot, Beniapali, AntaraDi – of Odisha on the upper banks of Hirakud Resorvoir

Affected Villages

Chikhli

BarangakoT

Video file DSCN3780.mov

Barangakot

Length – about 900 kilometers from Chitrakoot till Bay of Bengal

Drainage area – approx 1,32,100 sq. kms. Tributaries –

Jeera (OR), Ong (OR), Tel (OR), IB, BheDen Seonath/ Shivnath (CG) 22% drainage of Mahanadi Hasdeo (CG) BaD Kelo, Chhot Kelo

During peak monsoon water inflow into Hirakud was above 15 lac (cusec) more than peak flow of Sindhu River in Sindh of Pakistan during floods (1961).

Mahanadi – Vital Stats

1. Dist – Sambalpur – Orissai. 25.8 km long, 743 Sq. Km of artificial lake,

Lost area – 597 Sq. Km., costing – 100 Crore in 1957, shore line 639 km.

ii. Flood protection 9500 sq. km of Cuttack and Puri (?) as per govt.

iii. Displacement – 1,50,000 people of 22,000 families during and immediately after const.

iv. Compensation paid at that time 3.32 crore of 12 Crore budgeted initially.

Dams on Mahanadi & Tributaries – 1Hirakud Dam

Mahanadi – Dhamtari Dist. Chhattisgarh Full resorvoir level – 348.70, live capacity 767.00

million cubic meter Gangrel - Catchment area – 3670 sq. Km. Bango - Catchment 6730 sq km These dams were at their 90% capacity on 9th

which prevented them from buffering the flood water.

Dams on Mahanadi & Tributaries – 2

Gangrel (Ravishankar Sagar) Dam

Bango Dam – Hasdeo River - Korba

Catchment area – 83,400 sq. kilometers No of gates – 64 sluices, and crest/ spillway

34

Hirakud

2011 – Hirakud outflow – 9.81 cusecs on 10th 2008 – 2003 – 1998 – 1982 – 1962 – 1961 – 15 Lac Cusecs – Max Recorded till

date

Past Floods

Gangrel Dam

8th inflow was 8.84 lac cusec with outflow of 7.95 lac cusec through 42 sluices

At the same time Bango Dam released 1.5 lac cusec at 16:00 hrs. They do not have flood control measures

Hirakud was at 627.41 ft. and rain was continuing incessantly.

They gave flood alert after this predicting 13 lac cusec at Munduli – the beginning of Mahanadi Delta

Dams on Mahanadi & Tributaries – 2

Sondhul Dam

Refer to study report done by Water Initiatives Orissa separately available.

Rainfall Survey Report

9th morning inflow into resorvoir increased to 10 lac cusecs due to heavy rainfall.

55 sluices were opened at once mid night with 9.91 lac cusecs

Resorvoir reached 628 ft mark Khairmal recorded 13.66 lac cusecs At 8 pm level reached 629.06 ft Our sources have confirmed that 63 gates were

open in dark hours of the night and outflow was 11.1 lac cusec with peak of 13.9 cusec at Khairmal may have reached to 14.6 at Munduli next day.

Delta formation on the mouth of Hirakud dam has affected the flow of water.

River bed has come up by more than 25 ft. higher since the dam has been built.

Primary purpose of the Dam was to generate electricity to supply to Cuttack, BBSR, Kolkata – Ref: documentation and power purchase agreements between Orissa vs. others.

Dams are filled up with Sand and Debris – Silt Deposit

Satellite Images

Chhattisgarh – No. of dwellings destroyed Orissa – large no. of mud dwellings destroyed Domestic animals like cattle, goats, hens etc.

have been washed away or trapped and dead by falling house. 30 Goats in village near Dunguri

Partially fallen house will not get any compensation as per current Relief Code, but those houses are not at all to enter, any time they may fall.

Current Damage – Sept. 2011

Administration says that there are 3 badly affected villages

As per our visit, 5 villages of Ambabhona Block have been badly damaged.

People have become dumb founded by the sudden & never seen before in life flood in this region

HEAVY RAIN AND FLOOD MIGHT BE NATURAL, BUT DAMAGE IS MAN MADE – IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED; HAD THE AUTHORITIES TAKEN APPROPRIATE PRECAUTION IN ADVANCE. This is gross negligence of the Govt and authorities.

Current Damages – Sept. 2011

As people of this region had never expected such a flood, the preparedness was not there. This is also a lack of coordination from the administration of Chhattisgarh and Odisha – not to intimate or inform people of the region about extent of the water coming down.

The height of water this year was 4’ to 8’ higher than previous years.

Current Damages – Sept. 2011

Affected people have lost all their savings of food grains, staple foods, clothes etc. and subsequent rain is further increasing their trouble.

They are badly in need of Dry Rationing. As power was not restored in few villages, alternate lighting needs to be arranged, but is a secondary need.

Current Damages – Sept. 2011

Health issues – it was reported by people that medical people are visiting the villages. Veterinary doctor had also visited to address the issues of domestic animals.

Current Damages – Sept. 2011

Education – As people have not been able to rescue anything from the falling houses in flood, they have also lost the text books, certificates, copies and other study materials.

Current Damages – Sept. 2011

1. Lack of coordination between Odisha and CG authorities in controlling the water level of the dams.

2. Rule curve is being blindly followed in Hirakud, which was created in 1988, where as in these years, there have been more than 3 large dams come up on Mahanadi upper catchment. Ref: Report of Water Initiatives

Possible Reasons of this Damage

3. River beds filled up with sand, debris, ash ponds and silt – specially delta of Hirakud Dam. About 20 - 30 years ago people were crossing the river by small ferries, these days those crossings are possible with vehicles.

4. Mineral wastes and dumpings have aggravated the situation along with massive deforestation of the mountains.

5. Mining operations – clear the forest coverage, dump the top layer as waste at nearby places, and wash the minerals releasing the waste into the rivers.

Paddy plant is water resistant by nature and it can survive several days being submerged in normal water. It has been found that in several regions, with just 3 days of water standing, many fields have become totally rotten without the trace of green plant. See Image next slide.

Its better not to speak of the conditions of other vegetable plants.

New Observations

Photo of wasted crop fields

People said that they had never seen such kind of damage to crops due to rain and flood.

Those getting in touch/ contact of the water, are getting burnt, and skins itching severely.

Medical sources indicate towards high level of flouride content which obstructs and damages bones preventing normal growth.

See next photographs

Chemical Damage from accumulated waste disposals

of factories.

Chemical Damage Flourides

Rainfall pattern has drastically changed over the years.

Climate Change

Better management coordination Meteorology warning propagation to village

level on active basis Damage prevention and re-habilitation of

people affected. What about the future?

What should we do ?