Bhubaneswar, Sep 25: A flood threat loomed over several parts of Odisha on Friday as water levels in the Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha rivers continued to rise following heavy rainfall, while the Baitarani river crossed the danger mark at Akhuapada.

Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout said water levels in several rivers had been rising over the past two days due to widespread rainfall across the state.

The Baitarani at Akhuapada crossed its danger level of 18.33 metres in the morning, reaching 18.66 metres by Friday. Rout said the level was expected to rise further and could touch around 19.2 metres by 7 pm before gradually receding.

According to rainfall data recorded at 9 am, around 100 mm of rain was reported at 63 locations, while 161 places received more than 50 mm, indicating the widespread nature of the rainfall.

The Water Resources Department was also closely monitoring the situation in southern Odisha. The storage level at the Indravati reservoir in Nabarangpur rose from around 84% before the low-pressure system to 94% following heavy rain. Five gates were opened to regulate the reservoir level.

Meanwhile, the Upper Kolab reservoir in Koraput saw its storage increase from around 50% to 67%. No gates were opened there as sufficient storage space remained available, Rout said.

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