Bhubaneswar: Low-lying areas of four Odisha districts are likely to be affected by the rising water level of the Mahanadi river, with agricultural land expected to be inundated, said Dillip Kumar Rout, Engineer-in-Chief of the Odisha Water Resources Department, today.

He said around 7.83 lakh cusecs of water was flowing through Mundali around noon. The flow is expected to reach nearly 8 lakh cusecs by the evening. However, Rout said the water discharge at Mundali is expected to decline after evening.

According to the official, the flood situation in the state is currently confined to the Mahanadi system. Low-lying areas of Kataka, Khordha, Puri and Jagatsinghpur are expected to be affected, particularly agricultural fields.

Some areas of Patkura and Garadpur in Kendrapara district may also face the impact of the rising Mahanadi water, though to a limited extent, he said.

Rout said there is no flood situation in other major rivers of the state. Water levels in the Subarnarekha, Budhabalanga, Jalka, Baitarani and Salandi rivers have declined. The Brahmani is also not facing a flood situation, while water levels in rivers in southern Odisha have also receded, he said.

Meanwhile, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said 7,834 villages in 1,360 gram panchayats across 205 blocks have been affected by the flood situation. In addition, 219 wards in 38 urban local bodies (ULBs) have also been affected.

The minister said the government expects the situation to improve within the next 24 hours as water levels in several rivers have started to recede.