Bhubaneswar, Oct 30: The flood situation in Odisha has shown gradual improvement following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab, with the Water Resources Department ruling out any plan to open the Hirakud Dam floodgates for now.

Dilip Kumar Rout, Engineer-in-Chief (EIC) of the Water Resources department, said on Friday that the water level in the Rushikulya river at Purushottampur in Ganjam district stood at 17.94 metres, above the danger mark. However, it is expected to fall below the danger mark by Friday evening.

Sorada recorded a water level of 78.4 metres, while the Vamsadhara River was flowing below the danger mark, Rout said. Ganjam received 61 mm of rainfall, while Balasore recorded 71 mm, Rout said.

The EIC said the department had released nearly 60 per cent of the stored water from the concerned dam in anticipation of heavy rainfall. He clarified that the release had not caused the rise in river levels, which was due to heavy rainfall.

Also read: Cyclone Arnab: Central team to visit Odisha on Nov 2 to assess damage in Ganjam, Gajapati

He also said medium irrigation reservoirs are primarily designed for irrigation and not specifically for flood control. Meanwhile, the water level at Hirakud Dam stood at 627 feet on Friday, against its full reservoir level of 630 feet.

Around 1.5 lakh cusecs of water is expected to flow into the reservoir from Chhattisgarh following rainfall in the neighbouring state. Rout said the anticipated inflow could be managed within Hirakud Dam and there was no plan to open its gates. "The situation can be managed at Hirakud itself. There is no plan to open any gates," he said.