Heavy shower lashes Odisha, Puri records highest rainfall

Bhubaneswar: The heavy rain since last night lashed almost all the districts triggering flood-like situation in Odisha.

Total six districts — Gajapati, Kalahandi, Khordha, Kopraput, Malkangiri and Puri — in Odisha received average rainfall of 100 mm and above.

While Puri recorded the highest rainfall of 322 mm followed by Cuttack 211 mm and Bhubaneswar 180 mm in the last 24 hours, 16 Blocks have received rainfall of 200 mm and above, said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi.

Similarly, 35 Blocks have received rainfall between 100 mm & 200 mm.

However, the heavy rain triggered flood situation in Malkangiri and Kalahandi districts.

In Malkangiri, the situation worsened as the communication on NH 326 was disrupted at Saptadhara Bridge (Khairput Block), Pangam Bridge (Mathili Block), Poteru, Kangurukonda and some other places due to overtopping of flood water at low lying bridges. The road from Malkangiri to Kalimela and Kalimela to Podia still remains disrupted as flood water is flowing above the bridge at Kangurkonda and Undrukonda respectively.

The authorities have deployed 2 teams of ODRAF in Malkangiri to restore the situation. Till the filing of the report, the situation slowly improved.

Meanwhile, 50 students and 200 passengers were stranded in Kalahandi district due to overnight rainfall. They were provided the foods and taken to nearby government buildings for shelter. Later, they were sent to their homes.

Similar situation was found in Kalampur and Jaipatna Blocks that submerged in rain water. A few families in Kalampur block has been shifted to safer places. However, the situation is under control now.

The residents in Bhubaneswar were stranded as the rainwater entered into their houses and roads were inundated in the morning.

While Jatni received 255 mm rainfall, Balianta, Khordha and Bhubaneswar received more than 180 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours.

The normal life was disrupted due to poor waterlogging at Jaydev Vihar, Nayapalli, Acharya Vihar, Aiginia, Patrapada, Jaydurganagar, Shaileshree Vihar, Damana and Old Town area.

Similarly, 211 mm rainfall was experienced in Cuttack city in last 24 hrs causing waterlogging situation. In view of the situation, as many as 181 pumps are functioning in dewatering. The arrangement has been made to provide cooked food for 16,000 people stranded in the rainwater.

Although, the water level is increasing in rivers like Jalaka, Rushikulya, Nagabali, Brahmani and Baitarani, the rivers are not flowing above the danger mark, Sethi said.

Odisha is likely to receive heavy to heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours under influence of a well-marked low pressure that turned into depression over northwest Bay of Bengal. If the rain continues, steps will be taken accordingly, he added.