Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has cancelled the leaves of government employees in flood-affected districts of the state, informed Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari today after a meeting on the flood situation with the concerned officials.

On the other hand, a moderate flood is expected in the Mahanadi River by tomorrow evening.

The minister said all government employees in the affected districts have been directed to remain on duty to ensure an effective response to the flood situation. He also said district collectors have been authorised to decide on the closure of schools based on the prevailing conditions in their respective districts.

Pujari said the flood situation in northern Odisha is expected to improve gradually, while the impact of heavy rainfall is likely to intensify in southern and western parts of the state. He added that the water level in the Mahanadi is expected to rise, but assured that the discharge at Naraj will be regulated and will not exceed 9 lakh cusecs.

The minister said a decision on opening additional gates of the Hirakud Dam will be taken only after the reservoir level rises further. He noted that continuous rainfall is being recorded in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh and Nuapada districts, while Bolangir, Rayagada, Gajapati and Malkangiri are also receiving rain.

Providing an update on flood-related casualties, Pujari said three people have died in Keonjhar district during the ongoing floods. The victims include a fire services personnel who died due to electrocution while on duty, one person killed after a wall collapsed, and a child who was swept away in floodwaters.

Meanwhile, Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources Department, Dillip Kumar Rout, said two gates of the Hirakud Dam are currently open, and the reservoir level stands at 616 feet.

He said the inflow at Mundali is expected to reach between 8.5 lakh and 9 lakh cusecs by Thursday evening. As a result, low to moderate flooding is expected in the lower reaches of the Mahanadi and Daya rivers.

Rout warned that floodwaters are likely to enter low-lying areas of Nimapada, Kanas, Gop and Astaranga in Puri district. He added that flood conditions continue in the Baitarani river basin, although inflows into the Salandi river have reduced.

Floodwaters have already inundated parts of Jajpur, Dasarathpur, Dhamnagar and Chandbali, he said. The situation in Bhadrak is expected to improve by Thursday. He also informed that minor breaches have occurred near Anandapur and Jajpur, which will be repaired after the floodwaters recede.