Bhubaneswar, Jul 30: Water levels in the Mahanadi River continue to rise near Mundali following incessant rainfall across Odisha and the release of water from the Hirakud Dam. Officials are closely monitoring the situation as the flood discharge is expected to increase further during the day.

According to official data, the water level at Mundali has been rising steadily since noon on Wednesday. As of 5 am on Thursday, the river was carrying 7,91,185 cusecs of floodwater. The water level upstream of the Mundali Barrage stood at 92.50 feet, while the downstream level was 90.10 feet. The danger levels are 97.25 feet upstream and 95.05 feet downstream, indicating that the river is still flowing below the danger mark.

At the Naraj Barrage, the floodwater discharge was recorded at 3,27,992 cusecs at 5 am. The upstream water level stood at 25.85 metres, while the downstream level was 22.65 metres. The danger level at the upstream side of the barrage is 26.41 metres.

Meanwhile, the Mahanadi is carrying 6.52 lakh cusecs of water at Barmul and 8.30 lakh cusecs at Khairmal. The surge is expected to reach Mundali between 1 pm and 2 pm on Thursday.

Officials estimate that the flood discharge at Mundali could rise to around 9 lakh cusecs during the afternoon. The Water Resources Department and district administrations remain on alert and are closely monitoring the river's flow, particularly in low-lying areas along the Mahanadi basin.