Bhubaneswar: Intense downpours triggered by a low-pressure system over North Odisha have caused major rivers including the Baitarani, Salandi, Kani and parts of the Mahanadi system to swell, inundating villages, farmland and roads in several districts and prompting authorities to open additional gates at the Hirakud Dam.In Bhadrak district, continuous rainfall in upper catchment areas has pushed the Baitarani near the danger mark at Akhuapada (around 18 metres against 18.33 metres) and the Salandi close to its warning level of 17 feet at Rajghat (recorded near 16.10 feet in recent readings). Embankment breaches have worsened the situation, including a roughly 200-foot gap at Baro Dihia in Tihidi block and a larger breach near Lanjatara in Bilana panchayat. Water from the Salandi and Nalia rivers has submerged multiple villages across Tihidi, Bhadrak, Dhamnagar, Chandbali and Bhandaripokhari blocks, affecting thousands of hectares of farmland and entering residential areas in places.
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