2022 Odisha Floods

The 2022 Odisha floods were a series of floods in Odisha, which lasted from 14 August 2022 to 7 September 2022.[1]

2022 Odisha Floods
Flood prone areas of the Mahanadi River Basin, Odisha.
DateAugust 14, 2022 (2022-08-14) to September 7, 2022 (2022-09-07)
Deaths7
Property damage~ ₹126 crore (~$15,390,200)
A Satellite image time-lapse showing flood situation from 28 July 2022 to 22 August 2022 of Baliapal, Odisha.

The main causes for the floods were the extensive rains which were started from the 3rd week of August 2022, because of the formation of 3 depression systems over the Bay of Bengal in that month and the Monsoon rains.[2][3][4]

In total twelve districts: - Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur (Sonepur), Bargarh, Angul, Boudh and Sambalpur - were primarily affected by the floods.[5]

The long term causes for the floods in Odisha are the extensive erosion, unpredictable rainfall, improper maintenance of river embankments, excessive building of dams on the rivers and unperiodic release of river water from the dams.[6]

Impact
The track of the "Depression" which was formed over the Bay of Bengal on 19 August 2022.
Hirakud dam gates were opened to release floodwater from the reservoir on 16 August 2022.
A satellite image time-lapse of the flood situation from 17 August 2022 to 22 August 2022 of Balasore, Odisha.

On 14 August 2022, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a "Red Alert" of heavy, very heavy, and extreme rainfall for seven districts in Odisha due to the new forming Depression in the Bay of Bengal.[7] After that, extensive rainfall started across many areas of the state, causing the water in the Mahanadi river system to flow at danger levels.[8]

Meanwhile, the dams in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were opened due to which the water present in the Hirakud Dam Reservoir started overflowing. Therefore, the Hirakud Dam Authority opened 40 gates to release the excess water from the reservoir.[9] Due to the sudden release of floodwater from the dam, 100 houses in Sambalpur located near to the river got submerged in the floodwater.[10]

The water released from the dam increased the water levels and the flow rate of the Mahanadi river system. In addition to the monsoon rains, the situation of the Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani River Systems and other rivers in the state worsened.[11]

On 17 August 2022, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a "Yellow Alert" of heavy rainfall for 20 districts and an "Orange Alert" of very heavy rainfall for 17 districts. IMD warned the state government of a new forming depression over the Bay of Bengal and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea for fishing, as the winds were blowing at 45-55 km/h.[12]

The low-lying districts in the Mahanadi River Basin - Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Khordha, Puri and Kendrapara - were flooded with 12 lakh Cusec of water, which flowed through these areas on the night of 19 August 2022.[13]

In Jharkhand, the 16 gates of the Galudih Barrage were opened and released 6 lakh cusec of water. Due to this, excess water flowed into the Subarnarekha River and flowed further into the Northern districts of Odisha like Balasore and Mayurbhanj and flooded these areas.[14][15]

Heavy rains also occurred in Bhubaneswar, causing low-lying areas of the city like Sundarpada to get submerged by the rainwater; many drains, roads and old houses were damaged.[16]

Due to the floods, over 1.2 lakh hectares of cropland were destroyed or damaged, leading to huge losses for farmers. The most affected croplands were in the Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Boudh and Sonepur districts.[17]

Aftermath
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik conducting an "Aerial survey" on 18 August 2022.
Subarnarekha river during the floods.
A flooded area during the floods.
A NDRF team conducting a relief operation.
Indian Navy Service (INS) Chilka distributing food to the people who were sheltered in relief centers.

In total around one million people from 1,757 villages were affected, 126,000 hectares of crop land was damaged, 250,000 people were marooned, seven killed, over 14,000 houses were damaged and destroyed by the floods, 440 relief centers were established and ₹126 crore of public property got damaged and destroyed.[18][19][20]

Due to the crop damage, prices of affected vegetables increased noticeably and supply chains were affected.[21]

Over 900 cases of diarrhea and 88 cases of snakebite were reported from the flood-hit districts.[22]

Several diarrhea cases were reported, as many people were forced to drink flood water as they didn't have access to any freshwater resource.[23]

On 18 August, 2022, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik conducted an aerial survey over the Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Puri districts, and later announced a 15-day relief for the Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khordha, Puri and Cuttack districts and 7-day relief to Sambalpur, Bargarh, Boudh, Sonepur and Angul districts.[24][25]

The Odisha Government later dispatched financial aid of ₹128.8 crore to restore the damaged and destroyed public properties and to conduct relief operations in the flood-hit areas.[26]

To conduct relief operations, 11 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 12 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF) and 52 teams of Odisha Fire Services were arranged in the flood-hit Districts.[27]

References
  1. "Odisha flood affects 4.67 lakh people in 12 districts". www.thehindu.com. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  2. "Amid Flood Situation In Odisha, Swollen Mahanadi River Becomes Tourist Spot for Some". www.ndtv.com. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  3. The Weather Channel (India) Team. (17 August 2022). "Heavy Rains to Plague Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar Until August 21; Flood Situation in Odisha Remains Grim". weather.com. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  4. Vikash Sharma (28 October 2022). "Southwest monsoon: 7 low pressure systems triggered rainfall in Odisha". odishatv.in. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  5. "Odisha floods: Over 250,000 people across 10 districts affected". www.hindustantimes.com. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  6. Devananda Beura, P.G. Department of Geology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar (February 2015). "Floods in Mahanadi River, Odisha, India: Its Causes and Management". International Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences (IJEAS) . 2 (2): 51-55. ISSN 2394-3661. Retrieved 5 June 2023.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ""Deep depression to cross Odisha, West Bengal coasts."". www.newindianexpress.com. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  8. ""Odisha floods: CM stresses on zero casualty as water level rises in Mahanadi river. "". www.livemint.com. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. ""Authorities open 40 gates at Hirakud to release excess flood water."". odishatv.in. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  10. ""Around 100 Houses Submerged In Sambalpur As Water Released from Hirakud Dam ."". www.india.com. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  11. "Amid Flood Situation In Odisha, Swollen Mahanadi River Becomes Tourist Spot for Some". www.ndtv.com. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  12. "IMD predicts heavy rain in Odisha due to depression, Puri, other areas flooded". www.hindustantimes.com. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  13. "Odisha's flood situation grim, next 36 hours crucial, says Government". www.newindianexpress.com. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  14. "Now Jharkhand adds to Odisha floods, opens barrage to make Subarnarekha swell". odishatv.in. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  15. "Odisha expecting massive flood in Balasore district". www.thehindu.com. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  16. "Bhubaneswar low-lying areas got flooded with rainwater". odishabytes.com. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  17. "Odisha Flood: Crops in over 1.20 lakh hectares damaged". odishatv.in. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  18. "Rs 126 crore public assets damaged in Odisha floods". www.newindianexpress.com. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  19. "5 kids among seven dead in Odisha rain". www.hindustantimes.com. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  20. "Flood Situation Worsens In North Odisha, nearly 10 Lakh affected". www.ndtv.com. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  21. "Vegetable prices soar in Bhubaneswar amid Odisha flood". www.indiatvnews.com. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  22. "Floods in Odisha lead to spurt in diarrhea, waterborne diseases". www.telegraphindia.com. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  23. "People forced to drink flood water in marooned Odisha villages". www.newindianexpress.com. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  24. "Naveen Patnaik conducts aerial survey of flood-affected Odisha districts". www.aninews.in. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  25. "Odisha declares 15-day relief for flood-hit population in five coastal districts". www.thehindu.com. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  26. "Odisha Flood Damage Assessment: Govt Approves Rs 128.58 Cr Assistance for Affected". pragativadi.com. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  27. "Odisha floods: Rescue operations launched in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts". www.hindustantimes.com. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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