Rushikulya Flood Raises Questions Over Preparedness: Why Did Ganjam Face Flooding Despite Several Dams?

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Bhubaneswar: The recent flood in the Rushikulya River in Odisha’s Ganjam district has raised several questions about disaster preparedness and flood management. Despite the presence of numerous small and medium irrigation projects, why could the flooding not be prevented?

Ganjam district has several reservoirs, including Bhanjanagar, Daha, Ghodahada, Dhanei, Ghatakeswar, Sorada and Baghua. Many of these projects are associated with the Rushikulya river basin. However, the flooding has brought three major questions into focus.

What Caused the Rushikulya Flood?

One of the major factors behind flooding in the Rushikulya basin is heavy rainfall combined with simultaneous inflows from its tributaries.

When intense rainfall occurs in the upper catchment areas of the Rushikulya and its tributaries, large volumes of water enter the river within a short period.

The situation becomes particularly critical near Aska, where the Rushikulya and Badanadi rivers meet. If water levels rise simultaneously in both rivers, the risk of flooding in low-lying areas increases significantly.

When the volume of incoming water exceeds the river’s carrying capacity, it can overflow its banks and inundate residential areas and agricultural fields.

Besides, silt accumulation in the riverbed, obstructions in drainage channels and the geographical characteristics of low-lying areas can further aggravate flooding.

Why Did Dams Fail to Prevent the Flood?

The second major question concerns the purpose and water-holding capacity of the existing reservoirs.

Not all dams are constructed primarily for flood control. Many reservoirs are designed to provide irrigation facilities and meet other water requirements.

If reservoirs already contain substantial quantities of water before heavy rainfall, their capacity to accommodate additional inflows becomes limited.

Similarly, when water levels approach the maximum permissible limits, authorities may have to release water in a controlled manner to ensure dam safety.

Another important factor is that a reservoir can regulate water flowing from its designated catchment area. It cannot prevent flooding caused by heavy rainfall downstream or water entering the main river from other tributaries.

Therefore, the presence of several dams in Ganjam does not necessarily mean that the entire floodwater volume of the Rushikulya can be controlled.

However, whether the available flood moderation capacity of these reservoirs was effectively utilised remains a matter requiring detailed examination.

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Who Will Answer Questions About Flood Management?

The third and perhaps most important question concerns accountability and the operational decisions taken before and during the flood.

A detailed report from the Water Resources Department is necessary to establish the actual situation.

How much water was stored in the Bhanjanagar, Sorada, Daha, Dhanei and other relevant reservoirs before the flood? How much additional storage capacity was available?

How much water entered these reservoirs during the rainfall, and how much was subsequently released?

Were people living in downstream areas warned before water was discharged? Were reservoir operations conducted according to flood forecasts?

Another crucial issue is whether adequate coordination was maintained among reservoir authorities and agencies monitoring river water levels.

Answers to these questions can be obtained through official records maintained by the Water Resources Department and the authorities responsible for the respective irrigation projects.

Experts generally emphasise that the causes of flooding cannot be determined merely by the presence or absence of dams.

A comprehensive assessment must consider rainfall intensity, tributary inflows, reservoir storage levels, timing of water releases and the river’s drainage capacity.

Need for Comprehensive Technical Investigation

The Rushikulya flood has highlighted the need for an integrated flood management strategy for the entire river basin.

A detailed technical investigation should examine rainfall patterns, reservoir operations, water discharge records and the effectiveness of existing flood-control measures.

Such an assessment could establish whether the recent flooding was an unavoidable consequence of exceptionally heavy rainfall or whether opportunities to reduce its severity were missed.

Until the relevant operational data are examined, questions surrounding the effectiveness of flood preparedness and reservoir management in the Rushikulya basin will remain unanswered.

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