Governor asks Orissa to probe dam ‘mismanagement’
October 5th, 2011 - 7:16 pm ICT by IANSBhubaneswar, Oct 5 (IANS) Orissa Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare has asked the state government to investigate the alleged mismanagement of Hirakud dam which, according to the opposition, triggered massive floods last month, an official said Wednesday.
The move came after some experts and opposition parties alleged that the disaster, which killed over 80 people and disrupted lives of five million others in 21 of the state’s 30 districts, could have been avoided.
“He (the governor) has suggested a committee to be formed under the chairmanship of a former CWC (central water commission) chief,” S.C. Mohapatra, secretary of the state water resources department, told IANS.
“He has written a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in this regard,” Mohapatra said.
The state witnessed two rounds of floods in September. The first one was caused by heavy rains for several days and discharge of huge amount of water from Hirakud dam in Sambalpur district.
The second round was triggered by heavy rains and overflowing of Brahmani, Baitarani and Budhabalanga rivers.
The worst-hit districts were Jajpur, Kendrapada and Puri where thousands continue to live in makeshift homes, on embankments and roads.
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- Fresh floods hit 900 Orissa villages - Sep 23, 2011
- Relief efforts intensified as Orissa floods worsen - Sep 25, 2011
- Orissa flood situation continues to be grim - Sep 27, 2011
- Orissa flood toll 20 - Sep 14, 2011
- Floods displace thousands in Orissa - Sep 10, 2011
- Orissa floods: Six die, toll rises to 32 - Sep 16, 2011
- Orissa steps up flood relief efforts - Sep 12, 2011
- Four more die in Orissa floods, toll at 26 - Sep 15, 2011
- Death toll in Orissa flood rises to 22 - Sep 15, 2011
- Orissa floods: A man-made disaster? - Sep 15, 2011
- Flood-hit Orissa gets two more choppers - Sep 26, 2011
- Dalai Lama gives Rs.10 lakh for flood-hit Orissa - Sep 30, 2011
- 16 killed in Orissa floods - Sep 11, 2011
- IAF engaged in Orissa flood relief - Sep 15, 2011
Tags: brahmani, central water, chairmanship, chandrakant, chief minister, embankments, heavy rains, massive floods, mismanagement, mohapatra, oct 5, opposition parties, orissa, puri, rivers, secretary of the state, state government, state water resources, water commission, water resources department