Odisha Chief Secy refutes Oppn’s ‘man-made flood’ claims

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday rejected Opposition claims that last month's cyclone Arnab flooding in Ganjam district was "man-made," attributing the deluge instead to three consecutive days of unprecedented rainfall. Chief Secretary Anu Garg affirmed there were no lapses in flood or reservoir gate management and noted that the State ensured zero flood-related casualties.

Eleven people died and six remain missing in Odisha following cyclone Arnab's October 28 landfall in Andhra Pradesh. The BJD supremo and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik called the resulting Ganjam district floods "man-made," blaming the BJP government for failing to monitor dam water levels despite weather warnings.

Rejecting the allegations, the Chief Secretary clarified that three consecutive days of unprecedented rainfall caused the recent floods in Ganjam district, with no lapses in flood management or gate operations.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing relief and restoration work in flood-hit Ganjam, Gajapati, and Kandhamala districts following the cyclone, she said that the visiting Central team—including a Ministry of Jal Shakti official—confirmed after field assessments that unprecedented rain was the cause. Defending the State government’s handling of the calamity, Garg said Ganjam district witnessed exceptionally heavy rainfall, with the Patrapur block recording 546 mm of rain in a day. Rainfall was the highest in the area since 1990 and 2013. Apart from Patrapur, many places in the district received above 300 mm of rain during the period, the Chief Secretary said.

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William Behera

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