Nabarangpur, 30th Oct 2025: An “Orange Alert” has been issued for Nabarangpur district in view of cyclone ‘Mocha’. Due to the expected increase in rainfall, residents of the Indravati lowland area are becoming anxious. The water level in the Indravati reservoir, which has a storage capacity of 642 meters, has reached 640.9 meters. If rainfall increases even slightly, the reservoir gates may need to be opened.
The reservoir’s downstream areas include Rayagada district’s Kashipur, Kalahandi district’s Thuamul Rampur, Koraput district’s Dashamantpur, and Nabarangpur district’s Tentulikunti blocks. Heavy rainfall in these regions could raise the reservoir water level, posing a risk to low-lying areas such as Koshagumuda, Nabarangpur, Tentulikunti, and Nandahandi blocks of Nabarangpur district.
To manage the cyclone, the District Collector has canceled the leave of all government employees until October 30 and instructed them to remain at their headquarters.
Farmers are particularly worried about maize and paddy crops due to expected heavy rainfall. Around 70% of farmers in the district cultivate maize, which is a primary source of livelihood. This year, maize has been grown on 65,000 hectares across 10 blocks. However, so far, only 10% of the maize has been properly dried. The District Chief Agriculture Officer, Sudhi Ranjan Behera, stated that maize is usually dried and stored after harvesting. Any rain at this stage could damage the crop.
The District Supply and Marketing Committee (ORSAM) has reportedly procured 210 metric tons of maize, according to ORSAM’s Additional CEO, Goshan Kumar Kartik. The price of maize is determined by its moisture content. If maize becomes wet due to rain, the moisture content will rise, lowering its market value. Farmers, including Babu Malkar and Subas Nayak, have expressed their concern over this.
Regarding public safety, the Chief Executive Engineer of the Upper Indravati Hydroelectric Project, Eng. Nelson Tadingi, stated that in case of heavy rainfall, advance information will be provided before opening the reservoir gates.
No responses yet