Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 (IANS) Heavy rain battered several parts of Odisha on Thursday as the deep depression formed over the Bay of Bengal crossed the North Andhra Pradesh coast in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday and moved inland, with several southern and western districts recording over 100 mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours.
The deep depression brought heavy rain and strong winds to several parts of the state, causing inundation, rising water levels in major rivers, particularly in southern Odisha, uprooting of trees, landslides and disruption of power supply. Teams from the ODRAF and Fire Services Department have been deployed across the state and are busy clearing roads by cutting and removing fallen trees.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, after a review meeting, told reporters that the situation in the state following the landfall of the deep depression is “under control”, while warning that heavy rainfall will continue in several southern districts over the next 24 hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system is gradually weakening as it moves northwest. The weather agency has issued a Red Warning for very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Nabarangpur district for today. In contrast, it has issued an Orange Warning for Koraput, Malkangiri, Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir and Kalahandi districts.
Reviewing the situation, Pujari said the system has affected several districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi, and has been moving towards Balangir and subsequently Bargarh before entering Chhattisgarh.
He said heavy rainfall has been recorded at several places. Koraput’s Semiliguda received 193.9 mm, while Tangi in Khordha recorded 142 mm, G Udayagiri in Kandhamal 125.4 mm, Paralakhemundi 121.4 mm and Gosani 120 mm.
According to the minister, rainfall-related impacts have been reported from six districts: Koraput, Ganjam, Malkangiri, Gajapati, Nabarangpur and Rayagada. A total of 173 villages in 127 gram panchayats across 37 blocks, along with five urban local bodies covering 220 wards, have been affected.
Pujari said 8,205 people have been reported affected, of whom 8,082 have been evacuated to safer locations. The evacuation process is continuing. “All facilities, including food, are available at the relief centres. Doctors, paramedical staff and medicines have also been provided,” he said.
He added that district administrations across the state had been instructed to remain prepared, particularly in Jharsuguda, Sundaragada, Sonepur, Sambalpur and other districts that could receive rainfall as the system moves inland.
The minister said the situation was expected to gradually improve, with rainfall likely to continue in Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Koraput. He said conditions were expected to return to normal by September 26.
Pujari also said a report of a landslide had been received from Gajapati. Fisheries Minister Gokulananda Mallick was monitoring the situation in Gajapati, while Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik was overseeing the situation in Koraput. He added that other ministers and legislators had been assigned to monitor relief and restoration operations in the affected districts. The revenue minister also informed that four senior officials had been deployed to different districts to assess the situation.
–IANS
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