Bhubaneswar, November 11: A day after BJD president and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik described the devastating floods in Ganjam as a “man-made crisis” and accused the BJP government of administrative negligence, Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Wednesday defended the government's handling of the situation, attributing the unprecedented flooding to exceptionally heavy rainfall.

Addressing media persons, Garg said the intensity and duration of rainfall in Ganjam were extraordinary. Patrapur recorded a staggering 546 mm of rainfall in a single day, while several parts of the district experienced continuous heavy downpour for three consecutive days. The rainfall, she said, even surpassed the record associated with the 2013 cyclone.

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Seeking to dispel allegations surrounding dam and reservoir management, the Chief Secretary explained that only around 10 per cent of the water from the catchment areas entered the reservoirs, while the remaining 90 per cent flowed directly into the river systems.

She maintained that the safety of dams was the administration's foremost priority and that reservoir gates were opened in phases in accordance with established operational protocols.

The clarification comes against the backdrop of an escalating political debate over the causes of the floods and the government's preparedness to deal with the extreme weather event.

In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday alleged that despite advance warnings issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the administration failed to take adequate precautionary measures to minimise the impact of the floods.

The former Chief Minister argued that water should have been released from dams before the onset of the heavy rainfall to create sufficient storage capacity. He alleged that the subsequent release of water after the downpour had begun further aggravated the flood situation, raising questions about reservoir management and coordination among different departments.

On November 7, Patnaik had visited flood-affected areas of Hinjili, Sheragada, Aska and Sorada  and interacted with affected families, farmers and traders.