Heavy rains wreak havoc in South Odisha

Bhubaneswar:The heavy rain induced by a deep depression created havoc in southern Odisha districts on Tuesday, as about 2,000 affected people have been evacuated and brought to relief camps. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed officials to ensure adequate stock and supply of relief materials in the affected areas.

Official reports said roads were washed away, power supply was disrupted and several areas were inundated in heavy rains in the affected districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur and Ganjam.

Schools were shut in Malkangiri, the worst-hit district, Koraput and Ganjam on Tuesday, the reports said, adding that the the roads connecting Malkangiri to Koraput were washed away at several places, disrupting connectivity between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Majhi reviewed the flash flood situation in the State, particularly in Malkangiri and Koraput districts.He said the situation became worse due to slow drainage of water into the Bay of Bengal following the downpour that happened because of the deep depression.The Chief Minister also stressed the need for coordination among various departments to help the people in distress.

He said the assistance of the rescue teams of Odidha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire Services should be taken to restore normalcy in the affected area.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, who attended the meeting, said as many as 1,787 people in Malkangiri and 56 in Koraput districts were evacuated and housed in 16 relief camps as their houses were inundated in the rain water. As many as 176 houses have collapsed due to rain in Koraput district followed by 116 houses in Malkangiri.

Stating that the State government was well prepared to meet the challenges of the extremely heavy rainfall as predicted by the IMD, the minister said, “There is no report on human casualty so far.” He said a total 30 ODRAF teams were deployed in 12 districts and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, apart from 7 Fire Service teams in Malkangiri district.

The NDRF teams have been deployed in Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Cuttack districts besides engagement of 80 rescue boats in affected areas. The minister said the State government had also mobilised BSF jawans and a helicopter for evacuation, but they were not needed.

The Special Relief Commissioner’s office, in a report, said Koraput and Malkangiri district authorities have been asked to arrange for free kitchen for the affected people due to flood-like situation.Rivers in the region were in spate, and many bridges over them were submerged while several villages were waterlogged.

Meanwhile, the IMD, in a bulletin, said the deep depression weakened into a depression and moved away from Odisha. However, the State is likely to experience heavy rains till Wednesday.

A deep depression is a more intense stage of a low-pressure system and typically precedes the formation of a cyclonic storm, according to the IMD. The IMD sources said the highest rainfall of 231.4 mm was recorded at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Tuesday. At least three blocks have received more than 200 mm rainfall. They are Lanjigarh and MRampur in Kalahandi district and Dasmantpur block of Koraput district.Five other blocks have received more than 100 mm rainfall during the same period.