# Odisha floods hit 26 districts, 7,800 villages, situation to improve 2026-09-28T13:13:23+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Floods have affected at least 26 districts of Odisha, with 7,834 villages across 205 blocks and 219 urban wards under 38 urban local bodies hit, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said on Monday. The Mahanadi river water level at Hirakud was 629.52 feet, and inflow into the reservoir was 6.30 lakh cusecs, with 30 gates opened to release floodwater, Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout informed. Officials expect the Mundali inflow, recorded at 7.83 lakh cusecs by noon, to peak near 8 lakh cusecs and then decline after the evening. Low-lying areas and agricultural fields in Cuttack, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts may be inundated, Rout said. Floodwater in the Subarnarekha, Baitarani, Salandi and Budhabalanga rivers has started receding. The Brahmani is not facing a flood situation. Authorities have deployed district collectors, engineers and revenue officials, with ODRAF, NDRF and fire services engaged in response. The minister said there is no cause for concern on the Mahanadi, with water flowing from Chhattisgarh at 6.40 lakh cusecs and discharge at 4.94 lakh cusecs. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both stories from odishatv.in report the same flood event with a consistent neutral-report stance. The first article leads with the scale of damage across 26 districts and quotes the minister's assurance that the situation will improve in 24 hours. The second article leads with the Hirakud Dam gate operations and the expected Mundali flow peak, quoting the engineer-in-chief. Neither source emphasises government failure or opposition criticism. The official account dominates both stories. For readers, the key number to track is the Mundali inflow: authorities are working to keep it below 10 lakh cusecs, and the expected evening decline will determine whether low-lying areas get flooded. ## Coverage - odishatv.in - odishatv.in Tags: Hirakud Dam, Mahanadi river, NDRF, Odisha, Suresh Pujari Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-floods-hit-26-districts-7834-villages-219-wards/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/odisha-floods-hit-26-districts-7834-villages-219-wards/#story-in-brief