Key Points

While chairing the review meeting held at the Raj Bhavan conference hall here, Governor Kambhampati urged the state Revenue and Disaster Management Department to remain vigilant and ensure zero casualties amid the prevailing flood situation in several districts of the state.

The Governor, during the meeting, also lauded the Odisha government's dedicated measures to safeguard lives.

"The best thing we can do is to prioritise human life," Kambhampati emphasised, calling for proactive steps to protect people during floods.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Special Relief Commissioner Deo Ranjan Singh, Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Governor Roopa Roshan Sahoo, Additional Special Relief Commissioner Manish Agrawal, besides Engineer-in-Chief and Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department, were present during the meeting.

The officials briefed the Governor on the status of the affected districts, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, and Sundargarh, along with the monitoring mechanisms and advisories issued to the respective district administrations.

Discussions covered the status of river basins, preparedness measures for floods and heavy rain, deployment and readiness of disaster response forces, shelter arrangements, and relief assistance.

Appreciating the department's dedicated efforts, the Governor commended its work in providing essential services to the affected people during the crisis. Kambhampati suggested constructing barrages and diverting surplus water for better utilisation.

"If surplus water is diverted to nearby village tanks by constructing barrages, it can be used for irrigation and other purposes. This initiative will also help mitigate flood situations," he observed.

Highlighting long-term strategies, the Governor proposed the interlinking of water basins across states.

He explained that linking water systems can divert excess water from flood-prone regions to water-deficient areas, thereby reducing flood risks, improving irrigation, recharging groundwater, ensuring drinking water supply, and supporting rural livelihoods.

The Governor also stressed the need for a strategy paper and periodic studies on interlinking and intralinking of river systems.

Speaking on the occasion, Pujari, stated that the department is vigilant round the clock to address any exigencies and lauded the commitment of officials and field staff.

- IANS