It is said in Odia, “Jala bihune srushti nasha, jala bahule srushti nasha,” meaning both scarcity and abundance of water destroy things.
I have been born and brought up in the city of Sambalpur in the western part of Odisha. It was a small town when we were in school. There were only four to five main roads running through the town, the old town, and the Mahanadi flowing by. There were villages and paddy fields around the town.
Every year during the rains, there was waterlogging in the town, which made day-to-day life difficult. But every five to ten years, the situation got out of control, and most areas of the town remained under water.
Let us now analyse the reasons as to why the town of Sambalpur is so prone to urban floods:
1) The Hirakud Dam upstream, with a huge reservoir of water, is one of the main reasons for urban floods in Sambalpur. Due to rains upstream and the release of water from the dams in Chhattisgarh, when the water level of the dam rises, the dam authority has to open the gates. Of course, the gates are opened with prior intimation to the public through different means. Water from the dam hardly causes the floods. But when the river is in full flow, with water spreading in some places, water from the town does not find a smooth flow and, therefore, gets logged in low-lying areas of the town.
2) Continuous and incessant rains around the town accumulate in the paddy fields, grazing fields, and low-lying areas around the town and lead to a flood-like situation. The logged water also does not find an outlet and remains for days together. When the small rivers or Jors and the Mahanadi get a flow, the logged water flows in. At this time, even the roads remain under floodwater.
3) The rivers or Jors around the town of Sambalpur are one of the main reasons for urban floods in Sambalpur. The Harad Jor flows very near the city and carries much water during the rains. It joins the Mahanadi in two places, one at Binakhandi and the other at a little distance from the town, thereby also forming an islet. The rainwater carried by the river enters the low-lying areas and creates problems. When it overflows, the logged water is also not able to flow in, thereby creating a flood-like situation. The Malati Jor, flowing at a distance of five to ten kilometres in places, though does not pose an immediate threat to the town, yet creates problems in its adjoining areas.
4) The Dhobi Jor or Nala running through the city of Sambalpur and carrying wastewater can easily be called the Hwang Ho of the town. When it carries the rainwater accumulated in the outer areas, along with the waste and runoff water, and overflows due to its not being able to drain into the Mahanadi, the situation gets out of control, and the town is flooded with its waters. In the past, I have seen neck-high water in areas nearer the Jor. The Jor is often disputed for its role in pollution.
5) Sambalpur is an old town with narrow roads and lanes, and the drainage system is not sufficient to drain out all the waste and rainwater. Of course, attempts have been made to widen the roads and provide a better sewage system to the town. Work is still going on for the same.
Moreover, many residential colonies have come up in recent times in low-lying areas of the town, which, along with the boundaries, are blocking the floodwater from flowing into the rivers. Of course, people have shown interest in recent times in town planning with space for roads and drains, which may improve the situation in future.
There has been a lot of development in the town of Sambalpur in recent times. But the flood situation has remained the same. When rains come, the situation becomes out of control. There is waterlogging in many places, and even on certain roads and lanes, knee-high or waist-high water runs.
Earlier, the town had a small area and population. But it has grown enormously in recent times. New colonies have come up in low-lying areas. Buildings, along with the boundaries, are blocking the rainwater and logged water for days together. Movement of people and vehicles comes to a standstill.
Earlier, the situation could be guessed from what people said. But now, a clear picture is being highlighted through social media. In the year 1981 or 1982, I had been to Balibandha to see for myself, after hearing news of a huge banyan tree, a large portion of the road, along with an old garden, having been uprooted due to a forceful flow of floodwater from the town into the Mahanadi. On many occasions, I have not been able to visit the town from my locality due to the logging of water on the way.
It is not that steps are not being taken to mitigate the situation. But a natural calamity is a natural calamity, and it has to be dealt with tactfully. The affected people are provided shelter and relief in high places, and logged water is pumped out in certain places. The district administration and the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation remain on high alert during the floods.
In recent times, the ring road has been completed, which runs by the Mahanadi from one end of the town to the other. Both the banks of Harad Jor have been made high with stone and soil in certain places. This has prevented the river water from entering the residential areas. The ring road has been able to check the Mahanadi water from touching the town areas.
A wall on both sides of the Dhobi Jor has been constructed in certain places to prevent water from entering the residential areas. A high-rise bridge is under construction over the Malati River so that people are not affected by the floodwater flowing over the present low-lying bridge. Gates have been constructed in two to three places to control the flow of floodwater from the town into the Mahanadi.
Despite the steps taken, urban floods still haunt the town of Sambalpur. Whatever drains are there must be kept in good condition with regular cleaning. The wall on both sides of the Dhobi Jor may be completed in all places, with soil being filled up high so that water is checked. There should also not be dirt and waste in the Jor so that flood and pollution are controlled. The banks of Harad Jor must be made high with the filling of soil in some other places to check water from further entering the residential areas. It is good that the government has certain plans up its sleeves for the control of floods in the town of Sambalpur.
Urban floods are not a problem with the city of Sambalpur alone. Most towns and cities in the area, state, and country often face this problem. Even cities like Delhi and Mumbai are not spared from it. The main reason for this is that most of our towns and cities are not planned. Even in the most planned cities, there are unplanned areas.
But there are hardly any problems without solutions. Maintenance of the drainage system with regular cleaning, proper planning of further residential colonies, development of the low-lying areas so that pumping out of water is not necessary, a proper survey of towns and cities by the local authority for future action, and awareness among the people in the matter will definitely be in the interest of urban floods not posing a threat every time rains come.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
Email: airprafulla61@gmail.com
Mobile.9861007190